The gas carrier Fedor Litke could have become the first tanker to unload Russian LNG directly into Germany, but the German government banned state terminals from accepting gas from Russia. The country’s authorities chose to continue importing Yamal LNG indirectly so as not to upset anti-Russian public opinion.
On November 18, the tanker “Fedor Litke” unloaded a cargo of Yamal LNG (up to 100 million cubic meters of gas) in Dunkirk, France. According to AIS data from the vessels, the gas carrier is already returning to Yamal LNG and sailing along the coast of Norway.
Initially, the gas carrier was to make its journey to Germany, becoming the first tanker to deliver Russian LNG there. As The Financial Times reports, the unloading of fuel from Russia was scheduled for November 17 at the state terminal in Brunsbüttel. But operator Deutsche Energy Terminal reported this to the German government, and the country’s Economy Ministry ordered the state-owned company not to accept cargo from Russia.
The order was adopted to protect “public interests” and recommended that the operator “refuse LNG supplies from Russia until further notice,” The Financial Times wrote.
The most likely cargo could be a shipment of LNG on the tanker Fedor Litke. The ship reported its arrival at an unknown port of destination in Europe on November 16. And following reports of failure, it slowed down off the coast of Norway and maneuvered for some time. Evidently, the owner of the cargo opted for an alternative terminal, which became the French Dunkirk terminal.
The supply of Russian gas by gas pipeline to Germany was stopped at the end of August 2022, when Nord Stream stopped operating due to sanctions for the repair of turbines at compressor stations. But LNG imports continued. German authorities likely decided to ban direct entry, fearing an anti-Russian public backlash, as Russian LNG continues to arrive in Germany through terminals in neighboring countries, including France.
Gazprom Germania, nationalized by Berlin in April 2022 and renamed SEFE, inherits from Gazprom a long-term contract with Yamal LNG for the supply of 2.9 million tons (4 billion cubic meters) per year. Initially it was planned to supply them to India, but after the energy crisis of 2022, most of the volumes remain in Europe, including Germany. The Russian government granted sanctions waivers to allow the German company to continue importing Yamal LNG.
French Dunkirk is one of the main EU terminals to receive LNG from Yamal. On the one hand, local energy giant TotalEnergies continues to participate in the project. On the other hand, last year at the Handelsblatt Energy Summit conference, the general director of the German SEFE Egbert Lage He told Reuters that the company maintained reserves at the Dunkirk terminal of 3.5 billion cubic meters per year.
According to AIS data from the vessels, three shipments from Russia were already delivered to Dunkirk in November: up to 300 million cubic meters. In addition to the oil tanker Fedor Litke, the gas tankers Vladimir Wiese and Clean Planet stopped at the French terminal.
