EU on track to end Russian gas imports by 2027

The European Commission has affirmed the EU can end its reliance on gas from Russia by 2027, highlighting progress in a report released Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU has cut oil imports from Russia by more than 90%, the State of the Energy Union Report 2023 said.

Gas imports have been nearly halved, dropping from 155 bcm (5.5 tcf) in 2021 to 80 bcm (2.82 tcf) in 2022. A further fall of 40-45 bcm is anticipated within 2023.

The report also noted an overall drop in the bloc’s gas demand of more than 18% compared to the previous five years.

Through three rounds of joint gas purchases, the bloc has secured 52 bcm (1.84 tcf) in new supplies.

“The geography of Europe’s gas trade has been redesigned,” EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson said in press comments on the report’s release.  “Now LNG has taken a much greater importance in the gas mix.”

Meanwhile, the EU has made renewables central to its efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy, with wind and solar outstripping hydrocarbons as the bloc’s main energy source for the first time in May and 41 GW of solar capacity brought on line in 2022.