Russian state energy giant Gazprom increased natural gas deliveries to Europe by 30.7 percent in the first quarter of this year, while supplies to Serbia jumped by 71 percent after the Turkish Stream gas pipeline was put into operation, according to published preliminary data from the company.
The impressive year-on-year jump in exports, for almost 53 billion cubic meters of gas, is the result of the cold winter season for European conditions, it is stated in the announcement of Gazprom, and RT reports.
In March alone, 18.2 billion cubic meters of gas were exported, which is Gazprom’s all-time record, the company added.
Germany, the largest importer of Russian gas, almost tripled its purchases in the first three months of 2021. Most of the deliveries, as it was announced, were made through the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which passes under the Baltic Sea from Russia directly to Germany.
Exports to Serbia recorded a significant growth of 71.3 percent, while sales to Bulgaria and Greece increased by 52.4 percent, or 23.4 percent, respectively, since the Turkish Stream gas pipeline started operating, it added.
Romania, which has repeatedly emphasized its energy self-sufficiency, has increased its purchases of Russian gas by a huge 90 percent, and its supplies take place through Ukraine and Moldova, which is a much more expensive method than possible deliveries to Turkey, the text notes.
Gazprom’s exports to Turkey also more than doubled in the first quarter of 2021, by as much as 106.6 percent, so that the Russian energy giant remained the country’s main supplier of gas, despite Ankara’s activities to diversify its supplier network. Energy imports from Azerbaijan have failed to squeeze Russian gas out of the Turkish market, the company said in a statement.
Last year, Gazprom’s gas exports fell to 179.3 billion cubic meters, as the Covid-19 pandemic had a strong negative effect on industrial energy demand among consumers abroad, Sputnik News reports.
