Lithuania in Eastern Europe has openly challenged Russian might by becoming the first to declare independence from a Russia-dependent gas supply.Till on Tuesday, Lithuania imported all its natural gas from only one source - Russia’s OAO Gazprom (OGZD), the world’s largest gas supplier.
With the recent hostility increasing between Russia and the western world, threatening gas supplies globally, Lithuania decided to show the way - after an investment of $128 million, the country will on Monday see an off-shore liquefied natural-gas vessel anchoring on the Baltic coast that will convert LNG into natural gas and pump it to the mainland.The vessel will dock in the port of Klaipeda later on Tuesday and become an alternative to Russia’s annual 2.7 billion cubic meters of gas supply.
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said, ‘Lithuania made a bold, yet timely, decision to begin an independent and fast construction of the LNG terminal. Lithuania now has a choice. Lithuania till now used to pay the highest price for Russian gas in the 28-member European Union.’
Grybauskaite added: ‘This is a strategic geopolitical project that may decide the future of the whole region. Lithuania will become an energy-security guarantor for the whole Baltic region.’Any move on the Russian side to cut gas flows for a month would cause ‘important’ gas shortages for some customers in Estonia and Lithuania, the European Commission said in a recent report. In accordance with EU directive and National Energy Strategy, which pays great attention to ensure energy security and natural gas long-term supply reliability, Lithuania decided to implement the Project of LNG Terminal.
With the recent hostility increasing between Russia and the western world, threatening gas supplies globally, Lithuania decided to show the way - after an investment of $128 million, the country will on Monday see an off-shore liquefied natural-gas vessel anchoring on the Baltic coast that will convert LNG into natural gas and pump it to the mainland.The vessel will dock in the port of Klaipeda later on Tuesday and become an alternative to Russia’s annual 2.7 billion cubic meters of gas supply.
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said, ‘Lithuania made a bold, yet timely, decision to begin an independent and fast construction of the LNG terminal. Lithuania now has a choice. Lithuania till now used to pay the highest price for Russian gas in the 28-member European Union.’
Grybauskaite added: ‘This is a strategic geopolitical project that may decide the future of the whole region. Lithuania will become an energy-security guarantor for the whole Baltic region.’Any move on the Russian side to cut gas flows for a month would cause ‘important’ gas shortages for some customers in Estonia and Lithuania, the European Commission said in a recent report. In accordance with EU directive and National Energy Strategy, which pays great attention to ensure energy security and natural gas long-term supply reliability, Lithuania decided to implement the Project of LNG Terminal.