Status: 04/11/2022 08:08 a.m
For years, Lithuania has worked to free itself from its gas dependency on Russia – with success. However, it is disputed whether the new liquid gas terminal will also be sufficient to supply the Baltic neighbors.
Klaipėda is Lithuania’s largest port. The country has invested a lot of money here in recent years: in 2014, a large liquid gas terminal went into operation. The floating facility is located on a 300 meter long ship, aptly named “Independence”.
“It’s quite simple: gas is transported to our terminal in a liquid state with a temperature of minus 170 degrees,” says Mindaugas Navikas, the director of the state enterprise. “There it is heated and delivered in normal condition. So it goes into the normal pipes from which consumers get their usual gas.”
Deliveries from different countries
Up to three ships arrive here every month, often from the USA or Norway, but also from other countries. This has reduced gas prices in recent years because Lithuania has been able to negotiate with multiple suppliers, not just Russia.
Nevertheless, critics considered the liquid gas system to be oversized and expensive. But proponents such as energy expert Romas Švedas countered: It’s not just about the money. Švedas is a researcher at Vilnius University and was Deputy Minister of Energy a few years ago. “Lithuania’s energy security situation was critical in 2010. Our dependency on the only external supplier, Russia, was up to 80 percent,” he says. “After the closure of a nuclear power plant, it was clear to everyone that Lithuania was on an isolated energy island in Europe and that this urgently needed to change.”
Gas import from Russia stopped
Since the beginning of April, no gas has been purchased from Russia at all, Lithuania’s energy ministry recently announced. President Gitanas Nausėda appealed to the other EU countries to copy Lithuania. Because gas imports from Russia financed the war in Ukraine, the President said on Twitter.
“By the end of the year we will receive large ship deliveries and thus cover our needs and those of our neighbors,” said the country’s current energy minister, Dainius Kreivys. “I want to emphasize that our previous governments prepared well for this situation. That’s why we can remain calm today.”
Supply of the Baltic States as a goal
Covering the needs of the neighbors – by that he means supplying the other two Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia. There are different assessments as to whether this can really succeed in the coming winter. An expert on Lithuanian television has expressed concern that the liquid gas terminal cannot be used to full capacity in the long term. In winter at the latest, this could lead to problems. In addition, the floating liquid gas plant is also connected to Finland and from May to Poland and also supplies these two markets.
Latvia plans to vote in parliament this week on stopping Russian gas imports. Latvia is currently not getting any gas from Russia because pipelines connecting the two countries are being repaired – this is reported by Latvian television. A well-stocked gas storage facility in the country ensures the supply of the region. Estonia, on the other hand, has announced together with Finland that it also wants to put a liquid gas terminal into operation – it should be ready as early as autumn.
