The volume of Russian gas in Austria exceeds pre-war levels

In April this year, Austria imported 81% of natural gas from the Russian Federation, and a month earlier this share was even higher - 93%.

This is reported by Ukrinform's own correspondent in Vienna, citing data from the Austrian Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology.

According to the ministry's specialized information platform, in February and January of this year, the total share of Russian gas in Austrian imports was 87% and 97%, respectively. In February 2022, Austria imported 79% of its gas from Russia.

The platform does not provide specific figures for the volume of imported gas. At the same time, it is noted that the total volume of natural gas imports to Austria has generally decreased and in April 2024 amounted to 87% of the volumes that entered the country at the time of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Austrian Ministry of Energy explains the high share of Russian gas by the fact that the long-term supply contract with Russia is still in force, and gas imports via alternative routes are hampered by high gas fees in Germany.

"These circumstances mean that the share of Russian gas imports in Austria remains very high (recently over 90%). The absolute figures are currently declining, as gas consumption in Austria has dropped significantly compared to the previous year, a lot of gas is still stored in gas storage facilities and less gas has to be imported overall," the agency said.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 08/07/2024