The EU Will Seek To Strengthen Cooperation With African Countries To Help Replace Imported Russian Gas And Reduce Its Dependence On Moscow By Nearly Two-thirds This Year. A Draft EU Document Shows That African Countries, Especially Those In The West Of The African Continent, Such As Nigeria, Senegal And Angola, Have Great Untapped Potential In Liquefied Natural Gas.
The European Commission Is Scheduled To Adopt A Communication On External Energy Participation Later This Month As Part Of The Package To Implement The EU's Plan To Reduce Energy Dependence On Moscow.
After The Conflict Between Russia And Ukraine, The Group Of 27 Countries Hopes To Get Rid Of Its Largest Supplier. Its Draft Energy Strategy Also Seeks To Prepare The Region For Importing 10 Million Tons Of Renewable Hydrogen By 2030 To Help Replace Natural Gas From Russia, Which Is In Line With The Ambitious EU Green Agreement To Get Rid Of Fossil Fuels And Achieve Climate Neutrality By The Middle Of The Century.
According To The Document, The EU Plans To Increase LNG Imports By 50 Billion Cubic Meters And Pipeline Natural Gas Shipments From Countries Other Than Russia By 10 Billion Cubic Meters, Which Requires Establishing Relations With Traditional Suppliers On A New Basis And Expanding Trade To Emerging Suppliers.
Key Steps Include The Full Implementation Of The Agreement With The United States To Deliver An Additional 15 Billion Cubic Meters Of LNG In 2022 And About 50 Billion Cubic Meters Per Year By 2030. Another Goal Is To Sign A Trilateral Memorandum Of Understanding With Egypt And Israel To Promote The Development Of Liquefied Natural Gas And Supply It To Europe This Summer.
The EU Executive Body Also Said In The Document That The EU Must Strive To Ensure "an Open, Flexible, Liquid And Well Functioning Global LNG Market", Including Major Producing Countries Such As The United States, Australia And Qatar, As Well As Japan And South Korea.