OREANDA-NEWS  The Russian Ministry of Energy is discussing a possible restriction on the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for low-tonnage plants. This proposal will be submitted to the government in the next two weeks, said Artem Verkhov, director of the Department for the Development of the gas industry of the department, as quoted by RIA Novosti.

During the year, the Ministry of Energy plans to launch a program to subsidize the construction of LNG plants. At the same time, enterprises launched with state support will be limited to possible gas supplies for four years, "so that not all LNG goes abroad," Verkhov explained. They also intend to support the construction of the necessary infrastructure — gas stations and factories — through the purchase of gas-powered equipment, the representative of the department added. Earlier, the head of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanne, admitted that the EU countries continue to buy LNG from Russia despite US pressure. According to the businessman, the concern has signed a 20-year contract for the import of Russian gas, so European countries will still have to pay for supplies. In 2022, 15 million tons of gas from Russia provided a sixth of the EU's total LNG demand.

European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson called on EU countries to abandon Russian LNG. Spain, the largest buyer of Russian LNG, responded to the request. The head of the Spanish Ministry of Energy, Teresa Ribera, appealed to local companies not to renegotiate contracts for the supply of Russian fuel.