President Vladimir Putin has declared Kaliningrad energy “independent” from neighboring countries as he launched a terminal feeding liquefied natural gas (LNG) directly into the Western exclave.
Russia’s gas giant Gazprom had pledged in 2013 to complete construction of the LNG terminal into Kaliningrad, which sits between European Union members Poland and Lithuania, by late 2018. The terminal links to an existing gas pipeline near a local underground storage facility, allowing gas deliveries to local consumers as well as into storage reservoirs.
During the floating terminal’s launch on Tuesday, Putin said its annual capacity of 2.7 billion metric tons of LNG “reduces to zero” Kaliningrad’s dependence on transit gas supplies via Belarus and Lithuania.
“The constructed terminal and its infrastructure completely covers all of Kaliningrad region’s gas needs without the use of pipelines via neighboring countries,” Putin said.
Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller announced the end of gas deliveries via the Minsk-Vilnius-Kaunas-Kaliningrad pipeline, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], the task you had set to ensure the completely autonomous gas supply to Kaliningrad region by sea is complete,” Miller was quoted as saying by Interfax.
The news agency estimates the cost of the project at 60 billion rubles ($895 million), which includes the South Korean-built floating terminal, the “Marshal Vasilevsky,” worth $295 million.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
