Spain will offer to export as much gas as possible to Europe to avoid the EU rationing proposal

MADRID, 22 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Spain will propose to its European partners as a solidarity measure, and in response to the European Commission's proposal to apply a linear cut of 15% in the consumption of natural gas in all countries between August and next spring, to act on the supply of natural gas instead of on demand, thus maximizing gas shipments to the rest of Europe through its infrastructures.

Sources from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition indicated to Europa Press that Spain proposes that its infrastructures be valued and that gas exports to the rest of the European Union be taken into account in relation to the last five years.

Specifically, the average of Spanish natural gas exports in the last five years is two terawatt hours (TWh) per month and the country could reach 6.7 TWh per month with its infrastructures.

This will be the counteroffer that Teresa Ribera will put on the table this coming Tuesday at the Council of Energy Ministers to respond to the proposal of the European Union, which involves a solidarity reduction of linear consumption of 15% in relation to the average consumption of the last five years of each country, being even obligatory in case of alert for security of supply.

Brussels wants to save 45 bcm (billion cubic meters) of gas between August and March and Spain can contribute 5.6 bcm in this eight-month period, figures that in methane tankers are equivalent to the EU needing around 450 and Spain could respond with about 57, almost 13%.

Spain has a total of six active regasification plants that represent a third of the regasification capacity of the entire EU and 44% of the community storage potential for liquefied natural gas (LNG).

In addition, there is a seventh plant, that of El Musel (Gijón), which has never come into operation since its construction but has recently received the go-ahead from the Government for its start-up and which is presented as the key to exporting gas to partners Europeans.

In this sense, Spain is studying how to increase that capacity and that solidarity with El Musel and other options, such as sending gas to Livorno from Barcelona or increasing the capacity of gas pipelines with France.

Regarding the tube interconnections with Europe, there are those of Larrau (Navarra) and Irún (Basque Country), both with France, which allow almost 7 bcm to be exported per year. A third Pyrenean connection project, known as Midcat, and another underwater gas pipeline with Italy are also on the table.

Together with these proposals, Spain will raise in the Council of Energy Ministers next Tuesday the promotion of energy saving and efficiency measures.

This Wednesday, the Third Vice President of the Government and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, showed Spain's rejection of the proposal put forward by Brussels to impose gas consumption reductions on EU countries.

At a press conference, Ribera stressed that Spain is "a pro-European and supportive country", but assured that "a disproportionate sacrifice" cannot be asked for, since "unlike other countries, we Spaniards have not lived above our possibilities from the energetic point of view".

For this reason, the minister urged the European "partners" to "debate in an open, transparent and respectful way" on the best way to support each other in this regard.

Ribera has already highlighted the "fundamental" role that Spain can play as a "gateway" for more than 30% of LNG to Europe and with infrastructures prepared to support "its neighbors".

Likewise, he highlighted the solidarity of Spain in energy matters, which in the last month has exported more than 20% of the gas imported by the country to other member countries.