More than three months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, supplies of natural gas from Russia to Spain remain active. These have even increased in the past month.
According to Enagás’s statistical bulletin statistical bulletin, Spain imported 9% of natural gas from Russia in May, compared to 8% in April. Both the share and the volume rise to 3,289-gigawatt-hours (GWh). Russian natural gas still covers 7.1% of Spanish demand, the cumulative figure for the year shows.
The supply of natural gas from Algeria to Spain has continued to decline. This is a consequence of the geopolitical crisis between Spain and Algeria. This led to Algeria’s breach of the Friendship Treaty between the two countries. However, gas from the North African country still represents a quarter of Spain’s gas supply. Specifically, imports in May fell by 4.7% compared to April last year, to 9,094-gigawatt-hours (GWh). Of the 9,094 GWh imported from the African country in May, 7,003 GWh went by tube (Medgaz), while that by methane tanker (LNG) skyrocketed by 2,091 GWh.
Gas from the United States
The change of energy partners applied by Spain since the beginning of the year is consolidating. As a result, the US has been the main supplier of natural gas to Spain for five consecutive months. In May, imports from the country exceeded 13,000 GWh, accounting for 35.7% of the total natural gas entering the country during the month. In the cumulative figure for the year, also exceeds 35% of the total Spanish supply.
Gas from Nigeria
Nigeria is also confirmed as Spain’s third-largest natural gas supplier, with a total of 4,946 GWh, 13.5% of consumption in the month.
In total, Spain imported 36,671 GWh in the fifth month of the year, compared to almost 40,800 in April. Natural gas imported by ship (LNG) by Spain represented 75.1% of the total in April, while it was no more than 55% a year ago. In terms of exports, exports to France through the VIIP Pyrenees interconnection grew significantly. In May, a record figure of 6,185 GWh (+10 %). Normally, that connection was used to import natural gas from the neighbouring country. However, that has completely changed since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Morevoer, Spain has now become an exporter of gas to Europe.
Natural gas by ship
In addition, the unloading of ships has increased by 79% compared to a year ago. In total, they brought up to 28,424 GWh to the Spanish regasification plants, compared to 15,875 GWh in the same month of 2021. The volume of arrivals doubled at the plants in Cartagena, Bilbao, and Sagunto. Meanwhile, the number of ships unloaded in Spain in May grew by 72.2%, 31 in total, 13 more than in the same month last year.
