Spain's gas infrastructure is ready for a faster Russian LNG ban. CEO of the company says

Enagas, the Spanish gas grid operator, is prepared to ban Russian Liquefied Natural Gas by 2027 in case the EU moves up its phase-out date to this date. This was stated by Arturo Gonzalo, CEO of Enagas.

The EU is currently negotiating legal proposals that will end Russian gas and oil imports in January 2028. Sanctions would also ban Russian LNG one year earlier. This is part of Brussels' efforts to deny the Kremlin revenue to fund its Ukraine war.

Gonzalo stated in an interview that he thought a ban on Russian LNG by 2027 was feasible from an infrastructure perspective. He said: "I understand it's logical that Europe must raise the bar on sanctions against Russia."

He added, "We are prepared technically to operate without Russian Gas."

Gonzalo says gas network operators use accreditation systems already to track LNG cargo origin.

Enagas asks shippers to declare the origin of all cargoes that are unloaded in Spain. The information is then cross-checked against the cargo documentation, and the cargo is subjected to customs inspections.

The latest draft negotiation document of the EU's proposed phase-out of Russian oil and gas, as seen by, would require importers of gas to prove the country where it was produced before it reaches Europe.

The authorities can also require companies to disclose additional information about gas supply contracts.

The EU would be exempt from these requirements if the U.S. exported more than five billion cubic meters of gas in the past year.

Gonzalo stated that the LNG market is liquid enough to replace Russian volume. He said that once the LNG from Russia stopped coming, U.S. LNG would replace a large part of it.

The EU will approve the phase-out of Russian oil and natural gas by 2028 next week before the European Parliament negotiates the final law. The LNG sanctions are being negotiated separately by the countries. (Reporting and editing by Jan Harvey; Additional reporting by Pietro Lombardi, Julia Payne, and Kate Abnett)

(source: Reuters)