“This is something that we cannot take on unilaterally,” she cautioned.

However, the data show that this particular challenge is limited to Belgium, which transships around 50 percent of the Russian LNG it receives. France is the only other country that sends some of the LNG onward to third countries.

Norway expands position

Meanwhile Norway also continues to expand its role as a global LNG supplier, both from its own production at Hammerfest LNG and as a reseller of US supplies.

In 2023 Norway supplied around 5 percent of Europe’s LNG, up from 3.8 percent the year prior. Sales totaled 6.5bn Euro over that period. It also supplied around half of Germany’s natural gas needs via pipeline gas in 2023.

Earlier this week Equinor announced a 15-year deal to deliver 1.4 bcm of LNG per year, equivalent of around 15 percent of Hammerfest’s annual production, to Indian fertilizer and petrochemical company Deepak. The deliveries are set to start in 2026.

High North News is an independent newspaper published by the High North Center at Nord University in Bodø, Norway.