EU Ports Service Russian Gas Carriers Despite Sanctions

EU shipyards are servicing Russian ice-class tankers, allowing Moscow to continue transporting gas through the Arctic despite Western sanctions on the energy sector, reports the Financial Times.

Without the maintenance provided by the Damen shipyard in Brest (France) and Fayard A/S in Denmark, the Russian Yamal LNG plant would have faced difficulties in supplying gas to key markets in winter, when gas prices in the Northern Hemisphere are highest.

According to satellite images and vessel tracking data from the analytical company Kpler, these shipyards serviced 14 out of 15 specialized Arc7 tankers transporting gas from Russia’s Yamal LNG. Some vessels visited the shipyards multiple times.

“If these shipyards became unavailable, the entire logistics operation would be at risk,” said Malte Gumpert, an Arctic shipping expert from High North News, who tracks the movement of these vessels. “They could find another place for servicing, but it would significantly divert them from their route.”

Eight tankers have called at the Brest shipyard, and nine have undergone maintenance at the Danish shipyard since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Most of these vessels are owned by energy and shipping companies, including the Greek Dynagas.

Damen confirmed that it had serviced “several vessels associated with the transportation of Russian LNG,” but emphasized that this “strictly complied with European sanction legislation” and that it “has no influence over the choice of cargoes by shipping companies.” “In the near future, the repair of these LNG vessels is not planned,” Damen added.

Fayard did not respond to a request for comment.

Reducing the import of Russian gas is a central political goal of the European Commission. However, the EU’s plans to reduce the use of Russian fossil fuels to zero by 2027 are under threat due to the increase in Russian LNG imports, most of which come from Yamal.

The activities of these vessels and shipyards are not subject to sanctions due to the exemption for the transportation of energy resources and the fact that these vessels do not sail under the Russian flag.

The only tanker that has not approached either of these two shipyards is the Christophe de Margerie, which belongs to the Russian company Sovcomflot, which is under sanctions.

The inability of Christophe de Margerie to access European shipyards has taken it out of operation for six months, demonstrating the dependence of Arc7 tankers on European expertise and spare parts.

Meanwhile, a group of European Union countries is calling for strengthening sanctions against Russia by introducing new restrictions on natural gas and enhancing control over compliance with the established price cap on oil.

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