“There is only one company that has a long-term contract; it is a Spanish company, but it imports through Sines, which is Naturgy, which has a long-term contract to import Russian gas. It means very little in terms of percentage for the country; it means about 5%,” said the Portuguese Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho.
Competitive transition
In statements to Portuguese journalists in Brussels, after meeting with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a clean, fair and competitive transition, Teresa Ribera, the Portuguese Minister admitted that, until the EU “has a strong European legislative framework,” Portugal “cannot act in relation to that company […] due to contractual issues.” The European Union has approved the end of imports of Russian gas (pipeline and LNG) with final deadlines in 2027.
The agreement, finalised at the end of last year, establishes the end of LNG on 1 January 2027 and gas by pipeline on 30 September 2027, aiming to have the EU cease its dependence on Russian energy given the offensive in Ukraine. However, “there are some exceptions and we have to see if this contract is not among those exceptions,” explained Maria da Graça Carvalho.
Proper analysis
Still, on the day that marks the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the Minister assured: “This has to be very well analysed because it is a valid contract […], but we are monitoring the matter and, as soon as possible, and as soon as we are given the solid legal possibility to act, we will act.”
Portugal is one of the EU member states that will have to find alternatives to Russian gas imports, given that it still imports LNG from Russia, albeit in relatively small quantities. In 2024, Portugal imported approximately 49,141 GWh (gigawatt-hours) of natural gas, of which approximately 96% was LNG. Of the total LNG, about 4.4% originated in Russia. Furthermore, the Russian share of LNG imports in Portugal fell from about 15% in 2021 to 5% in 2024.