Natural gas pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe passed via Ukraine, a vital transit nation whose extensive subterranean gas storage facilities were crucial for the energy security of the surrounding area, especially during seasons of high demand and in the event of gas supply shortages.
As Russia has previously demonstrated, it is quite willing to use its gas supply as a geopolitical tool. It became evident during the gas crisis in Ukraine in 2009, however, the Russian full-scale war against Ukraine has brought the energy crisis in Europe to a whole new level.
To avoid gas shortages and electricity blackouts, EU countries were forced to look for alternative sources of energy supply. The EU moved ahead and issued approvals for the construction of the new LNG terminals and urged citizens to reduce their energy consumption.
In that light, the Financial Times reports that the EU countries are currently at the peak of their gas storage capacity and have turned to Ukraine to store the excess reserves.
Historically, natural gas pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe needed to pass through Ukraine. The country’s unique geographical position, situated between Russia and Europe, made it a natural transit route for gas pipelines.
The region’s energy security depended heavily on the country’s extensive subterranean gas storage facilities, especially during periods of high demand and in the event of gas supply disruptions.
Because of the EU’s plans to store gas early, and to use some Ukrainian facilities for extra storage, the head of Norway’s state-owned energy company Equinor, Anders Opedal, said “European gas market will remain volatile this winter, and will face a lot of variables, but is in a stronger position than last year.”
The dynamics of gas transit and storage have been greatly impacted by geopolitical conflicts, particularly those between Russia and Ukraine, and the current Hamas—Israel conflict.
There have occasionally been worries over the security and dependability of the gas flow via Ukraine due to political conflicts and disputes.
The gas supply to both Ukraine and European countries has been affected by the region’s susceptibility to delays and interruptions.
