MADRID – Spain’s purchase of gas from Russia marks record numbers, while imports of Algerian gas plummet by 41%. The United States remains Spain’s main gas supplier. However, purchases from Russia soared to record levels in June.
Imports of gas from Algeria decreased by 41.11% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period of the previous year, while purchases of this raw material from Russia decreased by 3.2% year-on-year in the first six months. increased, according to the latest June data from the Enagás Statistical Bulletin.
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Specifically, in the first half of the year, Spain bought 55,962 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of gas from Algeria, of which 51,484 GWh (92%) was via pipe (Medgaz) and the rest is methane tankers in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). These figures represent a 40% decrease in Algerian gas arriving in Spain via a gas pipeline compared to the first half of 2021.
The weight loss of purchases from the African country is also noted in the collected data, as they accounted for 47.7% of the total imports of this fuel in the first half of 2021, while they decreased in the first six months of 2022. to 24.7%.
Record quantity from Russia
In the case of Russia, despite the geopolitical situation resulting from the invasion of Ukraine, Spain bought a record 8,752 GWh of gas from this country in June, compared to 6,587 GWh in the same month of 2021, or about 3,000 GWh per month that it had acquired so far in 2022.
For example, 24.4% of the 35,890 GWh of gas that Spain imported in the sixth month of the year came from Russia, making Russia the second national supplier of this raw material after the United States.
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Despite the geopolitical situation caused by the invasion of Ukraine, Spain bought 8,752 GWh of gas from this country in June, compared to 6,587 GWh in the same month of 2021. This is an increase of 32.9% year on year.
US main gas supplier for Spain
On the other hand, the US has been consolidated as the main gas supplier for Spain, as 29.6% of June imports, with 10,618 GWh, and 34.4% of first-half purchases (78,078 GWh) came from the North American country.
The aggregated figures for the first half indicate that US gas imports have multiplied by 4.3, from 18,184 GWh in the first half of 2021 to 78,078 GWh between January and June 2022.
Similarly, the 10,618 GWh of gas imported from the US in June 2022 represents an increase of 764.65% compared to the 1,228 GWh purchased in the same month last year, that is, they were multiplied by more than eight.
In addition to the US, Algeria and Russia, Nigeria also stands out as one of the main gas suppliers for Spain, as in the first half of the year 14% of the imports of this raw material came from this country.
Export with France
Exports to France, via the VIP Pyrenees link, amounted to 3,051 GWh in June, compared to 1,265 GWh in the sixth month of 2021.
Normally used to import natural gas from the neighbouring country, there has been a complete change since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, turning Spain into an exporter to Europe.
Already in April, an export figure from Spain to France of 5,618 GWh was reached and in May it increased by 10% compared to the previous month, to the record figure of 6,185 GWh.
Gas per ship increases by 52.4%
June also saw a significant increase in vessel unloading of 52.4% compared to the same month last year. It delivered a total of 27,595 GWh for the Spanish regasification plants, compared to 18,106 GWh in the same month in 2021. For example, the number of ships unloaded in Spain in June grew by 38.1% to 29, eight more than in the same month last. year.
