Europe is not going to get rid of Russian natural gas, Spanish Deputy Energy Minister Jose Manuel Soria said. According to him, diversification of gas supplies is needed to increase the region’s energy independence.
"Russia is a very important supplier for Europe while a quarter of gas consumed by the EU comes from Russia. Half of that goes through Ukraine,“ he said. He added that the Ukrainian crisis has triggered gas supply risks for Europe that is why it seeks alternative gas routes.
The Pyrenees may become an alternative energy route to Europe, but its current capacity is insufficient. Currently, export from Spain is limited to 6.5 billion cubic meters.
But Soria said he believes that the situation could change by 2020 when the French-Spanish MidCat pipeline project will be completed. The project was declared a priority by the European Commission, but there are some issues from the French authorities.
However, Spain’s government believes the project will be completed by the beginning of the next decade and it will help to double annual exports from 6.5 billion cubic meters to 13 billion cubic meters.
