Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Kaliningrad region is no longer dependent on transit gas supplies. According to him, commissioning a gas receiving terminal into a storage facility with a floating regasification unit would nullify the transit risks for the Kaliningrad region.
"Of course, we all understand, we know well that the delivery of primary energy resources such as natural gas at such a distance using a pipe is a more economically expedient, cheaper way of delivery. But for us, for the Kaliningrad region, in particular, it is more a backup capacity, which significantly minimizes, and more precisely, negates all transit risks," he said, TASS reports.
The difference in prices of pipe gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) should affect consumers in the Kaliningrad region, Putin added. "I would like to remind you that we agreed with the government. The government has instructions to prepare a proposal to ensure that the difference in prices of pipe gas and liquefied natural gas supplied to Kaliningrad does not affect the end user," Putin said.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the gas receiving terminal and the floating regasification platform for pumping gas into the Kaliningrad underground storage facility (UGS), Putin noted the high importance of this project for the region. "The terminal’s capacity of 2.7 bln cubic meters of gas per year almost fully covers the needs of the region, guarantees a reliable alternative option for its gas supply, reduces the dependence of transit gas supplies, reduces them to zero," Putin said.
According to him, construction of an underground gas storage also deserves high praise. "This unique UGS facility will ensure reliable and stable gas supplies to consumers in the region, primarily in the autumn-winter period," the president said. He also recalled the plans of the European Union to withdraw the Baltic states from the Russian energy ring. "It is their business, the extra taxpayers' money will be invested in this," Putin said.
