How much gas does the UK get from Russia?
RUSSIA is one of the world's largest producers of oil, and concerns are building over how the Ukraine crisis will impact distribution and price of supplies.
Eastern European companies currently provides almost 40 per cent of the gas across the continent, but how could the UK be affected?
Does the UK get gas from Russia?
The UK’s reliance on Russian gas is far less significant to its European neighbours, sourcing an estimated three per cent.
Most of this gas comes in the form of liquid natural gas rather than being imported via pipelines.
Russian gas is mostly supplied by the state-controlled Gazprom, which has been one of the continent’s main suppliers for decades.
In 2020, 167.7 billion cubic metres of natural gas in Europe was imported from Russia, according to EU statistical office Eurostat.
How much gas does the UK import?
The UK is relatively self sufficient and produced 266,155 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2020, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The same year, roughly a third (266,155 GWh) of gas came from Norway as 24,635 GWh was imported from Russia.
The full breakdown is as follows:
- UK – 438,520 GWh
- Norway – 266, 155 GWh
- Qatar – 96.904 GWh
- USA – 53,439 GWh
- Russia – 24,635 GWh
- Trinidad & Tobago – 24,635 GWh
- Netherlands – 11,073 GWh
- Belgium – 7, 548 GWh
- Nigeria – 3,688 GWh
- Egypt - 2,040 GWh
- France – 1,079 GWh
- Algeria – 488 GWh
The government previously said that the “UK has one of the most reliable energy systems in the world, thanks to our diverse mix of nuclear, natural gas and renewable technologies."
RUSSIA LATEST
What other European countries get gas from Russia?
Of the 167.7 billion cubic metres of natural gas Europe imported in 2020 from Russia, Germany bought the most – 56.3 billion cubic metres.
🔵 Read our Russia - Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates
It was closely followed by Italy, with 19.7 billion, and the Netherlands, with 11.2 billion cubic metres.
Elsewhere, countries including Czech Republic, Latvia, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina relied on Russia for all its gas supplies in 2020.
Will energy prices go up due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
Russia invading Ukraine has caused gas prices to spike due to its control over supply.
It comes as the West ponder whether to sanction Russia’s energy sector, as they themselves decide whether to restrict the flow of natural gas to Europe, with key pipelines passing through Ukraine.
Germany has already announced it would halt the approval of the controversial Nord Stream 2 service that connects the Russian coast near St Petersburg to Lubmin in Germany.
The decision was criticised by Moscow who warned that Europe will be paying more for gas “very soon".
In the UK, The Sun reported that costs were already on the rise in the wake of the invasion as wholesale gas prices increased by more than 85 per cent in just days.
Wholesale gas prices need to be high for a sustained period of time before it will have any impact on the price customers pay.
The energy price cap is due to rise by £693 a year in April from £1,277 to £1,971 before being reviewed again in October.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Following the invasion on Thursday, February 24, 2022:
- Oil prices surged to over $100 a barrel
- Wholesale gas prices increased 34%
- UK's stock market closed down 3.88%
All you need to know about Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Everything you need to know about Russia's invasion of Ukraine...
- Why is Russia invading Ukraine?
- Will the UK go to war?
- How can I join the Ukraine foreign legion?
- What can I do to help Ukraine?
- Who is Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
- How much gas does the UK get from Russia?
- Is Russia a part of Nato?
- Does ?
- Why is Ukraine not in Nato?
- How big is the Russian army?
- What is of the Nato treaty?
- What is the Minsk agreement?
- Which countries were in the Soviet Union?
- What does the Z mean on Russian tanks? Meaning behind symbols explained