Portugal returned on Tuesday to receive natural gas from Russia for the third time since the war in Ukraine began. According to the latest data released by the Port of Sines, the vessel Yaakov Kakel is scheduled to dock at Sines on Tuesday, August 23rd at 6:30 am.
Flying the Bahamas flag and registered with NASA, Yaakov Kakel will unload liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais terminal, from the Sabeta terminal on the Yamal Peninsula in northern Russia, where most of the Russian gas comes from. It will not be piped into the center of Europe.
Yakov Gakkel is a vessel built in 2019 with a length of 283 meters. According to data published on the Port of Science website, it has 37 employees.
This is the third Russian gas ship to arrive in Portugal since the start of the war in Ukraine. The first ship arrived in Sines on March 4 via Vladimir VysTransport of contracted gas to Spain’s Naenergy (formerly Gas Natural Fenosa) under a long-term contract starting in 2018 and ending in 2038.
The “Público” newspaper, which revealed the importation related to the Yakov Kakel on Saturday, questioned Naturgy about the destination of the gas transported on this ship, but received no response (in March, Express (asked Naturgy about Vladimir Weiss and future Russian gas imports, the company did not clarify).
Naturgy, which sells natural gas in Portugal mainly to commercial customers, made its first import of Russian LNG in June 2018. At that time, when it was still operating under the Gas Natural Fenosa brand, the Spanish company disclosed that this discharge was 173 thousand cubic meters. Fenosa and the Russian company Yamal LNG (the first of 37 annual vessels contracted until 2041 between its partners Novatec, the French company Total and the Chinese companies CNBC and Silk, natural gas meters manufactured in A Coruna. Road Fund).
Naturgy will be the only one of the four gas importers to Portugal (a group that includes Calpe, ETP and Endesa) to maintain imports from Russia.
REN data showed Russia accounted for 5.7% of Portugal’s natural gas supply in the first seven months of the year. This is the sum of the volume that entered the National Gas Network in March and another cargo that arrived at Sines in May.
In the January to July period, the largest source of gas in Portugal was Nigeria (55%), followed by the United States (28%). Another source of gas imported by Portugal is Trinidad and Tobago (close to 11%).
Since the start of the war, Europe has reduced natural gas imports from Russia, but supplies via pipelines (such as Nord Stream 1) have continued for months, albeit with reduced flows. However, in addition to land exports, Russia also ships gas abroad by sea.
Currently, Russia accounts for about 12% of European natural gas imports, up from 26% in February, when the war in Ukraine began, according to ENTSOG (Network of European Gas Transport Operators) data published by the Bruegel Institute. .
