Kaliningrad to receive LNG supplies
Kaliningrad could grow imports through Russia's sole LNG import facility to cover any interruptions to its main piped transit route via Belarus and Lithuania, Reuters reported May 20.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has opened talks with Gazprom on using more LNG in Kaliningrad, the newswire said. The semi-enclave is cut off from Russia by NATO members Lithuania and Poland, and typically imports its gas through the 2.5bn m3/yr Minsk-Vilnius-Kaunas-Kaliningrad pipeline.
Kaliningrad's LNG import channel opened in 2019. The 174,000 m3 Marshal Vasilevskiy storage vessel was originally assigned here, but was affected by delays delivering Gazprom's Vyborn LNG terminal north of St Petersburg, nestled on Russia's border with Finland.
The 1.5mn metric tons/year Vyborn was supposed to come on stream in 2019. Following an emergency inspection of the construction project, the project is now anticipated to launch later this year.
With tensions rising following Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO, it could be Moscow now looks to unravel the last of Kaliningrad's energy links across NATO territory. Due to increased liftings from the domestic 2.9mn metric tons/year Klaipeda LNG terminal, Lithuania has become the first Baltic state to halt Russian gas purchases for domestic consumption. It no longer needs the Gazprom pipeline, so Moscow is likely to be keen to suspend Kaliningrad's usage also.