In conjunction with Europe’s declaration that the consumption of Natural gas In the union it fell by 20.1%, he said Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov, in a statement on Tuesday, said: Russian companies Interested in cooperating with Iran in gas turbine technology and co-production.
Shulginov said, in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Mehrabian, that “there is great potential for cooperation in this field”, at a time when Moscow is pressing for closer relations with Tehran amid sanctions and Western pressure because of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, while Iran wants to deepen cooperation with Russia in the fields of energy, transport and agriculture, according to Reuters.
Russia has been trying for years to start producing its own medium- or large-capacity gas turbines, but hasn’t finalized plans to do so. The need to produce these turbines has become more urgent since the start of what Moscow calls its own military operation in Ukraine in February.
and withdrawn Siemens energy Other foreign companies whose turbines have been used to build modern gas-fired power plants in Russia from the Russian market are going out of business, making it difficult for Moscow to maintain them.
From Brussels, the European Statistical Agency (Eurostat) announced on Tuesday that natural gas consumption in the European Union decreased by 20.1% between August and November compared to the previous five-year average for the same period, which is more than its goal of 15%, according to reports from “AFP”.
Facing significant cuts in Russian gas shipments due to the war in Ukraine, the 27 European Union countries agreed in late July to voluntarily reduce their gas consumption between August 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
The reduction target is set at 15% compared to the average of the last five years, through “voluntary reduction measures”.
From August to November 2022, consumption decreased “in most Member States”, confirmed the European Statistical Agency in a statement.
Eurostat has not provided an analysis of the reasons for this decline, which can be explained in part by the mild weather during autumn in Europe, as well as additional consumer efforts, or even the decline in production in some industries, according to “Agence France Press”.
And in 18 EU countries, consumption has fallen more than the target, and sometimes much. Finland recorded a decrease in gas consumption by 52.7%, Latvia by 43.2% and Lithuania by 41.6%.
And 6 other countries reduced their consumption but fell short of the target, most notably Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Conversely, Malta and Slovakia recorded an increase in gas consumption of 7.7% and 2.6% respectively. The decline recorded in France was within the EU average.
Eurostat noted that since January gas consumption in the Union has been below the average for the last five years.
Declining Russian gas shipments raise concerns about supplies to Europe. To increase the chances of replenishing its stocks next year, the European Union is trying to reduce its consumption.
EU countries have also agreed to make joint purchases on a voluntary basis.
European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefkovic said on Tuesday he was looking forward to concluding the first such deal “much before next summer”.
Germany and Poland are asking Russia to supply them with oil
On the other hand, Nikolai Tokarev, head of the Russian pipeline company Transneft, said his company had received two requests from Poland and Germany to export Russian oil to them in 2023.
In an interview with Russia-24, he predicted that oil supplies through the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline would remain unchanged next year.
The European Union has pledged to stop buying Russian seaborne oil from December 5. Western countries have also capped Russian crude prices, but the Druzhba pipeline remains exempt from sanctions.
The Transneft chief’s remarks contradict a proposal made last month that Poland would abandon a deal to buy Russian crude.
“They have announced that they will not take oil from Russia from January 1,” the head of “Transneft” said on Tuesday. “We have now received requests from Polish consumers to supply them with 3 million tonnes next year and 360,000 in December. Germany has also placed an order.” (to get oil) in the first quarter.”
Polish oil refiner PKN Orlen said on Tuesday it would not extend the Russian oil contract, which expires in January next year, while a second long-term deal to supply Poland with Russian crude will cease to be effective once sanctions are imposed, according to Reuters. .
A German economy ministry spokesman said reports that Berlin had asked for crude oil from Russia were groundless, adding that oil companies in east Germany’s Luena and Shevita refineries would not order crude oil from Russia next year.
Berlin aims to stop importing Russian oil by the end of this year and has been working with Poland for months to try to secure supplies to the Shevet refinery, which supplies 90% of Berlin’s fuel.
