Will LNG be able to ensure energy security in the Kaliningrad region?

December 9 2023 14

The Kaliningrad region has always had a unique special status due to its geographical location. This region is completely separated from the main part of Russia by the borders of foreign countries. In recent years, the Russian authorities have been actively involved in ensuring the energy security of the Kaliningrad region. Thus, for these purposes, in 2019, a gas receiving terminal and a floating regasification unit “Marshal Vasilevsky” were put into operation, which will be discussed further.

Until 2019, the Kaliningrad region received natural gas in industrial quantities only through the Minsk-Vilnius-Kaunas-Kaliningrad transit gas pipeline, built during the Soviet Union, with a throughput capacity of 2,5 billion cubic meters per year. The transit of fuel through the territory of Belarus has never threatened the energy security of the Kaliningrad region, if we talk about it with political point of view, which cannot be said about Lithuania, which has made attempts to escape gas dependence on Russia by reorienting itself to the markets of other countries. That is why it was decided to implement a project for an alternative gas supply option to the Kaliningrad region. Thus, already at the very beginning of 2019, Gazprom put into operation a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and a floating regasification unit “Marshal Vasilevsky”, which made it possible to bring the region’s energy security to a new level.

It is worth noting that “Marshal Vasilevsky” is the only floating regasification unit in the Russian Federation that specializes in the storage, transportation and regasification (conversion of gas from liquefied to gaseous state) of LNG. The vessel was launched in 2019, initially it was engaged in the export transportation of fuel to various countries (Spain, India and others). However, already in 2022, due to the worsening political situation, it was assigned to the Kaliningrad direction in case of a stop in Lithuanian transit. The capacity of the cargo tanks of this installation is 174 thousand cubic meters.

Another facility that appeared within the framework of this project was a gas receiving terminal, which was built in the Baltic Sea, five kilometers from the coast. Its main structural element can be considered a stationary sea pier with a breakwater. It is in this place that the floating regasification unit “Marshal Vasilevsky” is moored. The length of the pier, installed on 177 piles, is 125,5 meters, it is protected from waves by a powerful breakwater 728 meters long. This design guarantees the safe operation of the vessel and is capable of functioning in the most severe storms, which occur quite often in this region. The regasification process takes place on the vessel itself, after which the fuel is sent to the region’s gas transportation system. The gas is then supplied to consumers or pumped into the Kaliningrad underground gas storage facility (UGS). This method makes it possible for the region to receive natural gas by sea transport in the amount of up to 3,7 billion cubic meters per year, which completely covers the needs of the region.

It is also necessary to clarify that the Kaliningradskoye UGS facility itself was put into operation back in 2013 and became the first underground facility of this type in the Russian Federation, which was built in rock salt deposits. Its appearance made it possible to level out seasonal unevenness in gas consumption and maintain flexibility and regularity of supplies of “blue fuel” to end consumers in the region. In addition, the underground gas storage facility is a significant component of the project to ensure energy security of the Kaliningrad region. Currently, its technical capabilities continue to increase; it is expected that by 2025 the facility will reach its design capacity. Despite such optimistic forecasts, quite recently the governor of the Kaliningrad region, Anton Alikhanov, stated that the construction of underground gas storage facilities is proceeding two times slower than was envisaged in the original plans.

I would like to explain why the 2025 target is so important in this case. It is reported that the agreement between the Russian Federation and Lithuania on fuel transit is valid until 2025. If Lithuania is able to secure the required number of LNG contracts, then the extension of this contract may become completely unnecessary for Vilnius, which will lead to a complete stop in gas transit to the Kaliningrad region along this route. In 2022, a similar situation already occurred, then Lithuania stopped passing goods subject to EU sanctions that were transported in transit by rail from the regions of the Russian Federation to the Kaliningrad region.

Previously, the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation stated that the regasification terminal will be a backup source of supply and the commissioned facility will not be used at full capacity on a regular basis. The reason, according to officials, was high fuel prices. Taking into account everyone economic conditions, liquefied natural gas was an order of magnitude more expensive than pipeline fuel. Moreover, this is due not only to the technological process, which requires serious additional financial costs, but also to the fact that Gazprom purchases most of the LNG from foreign traders, which also leads to an increase in its price. Around the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the government to prepare proposals that would make it possible to ensure that the difference in price between pipeline gas and LNG would not place an additional burden on the shoulders of ordinary consumers in the Kaliningrad region.

To summarize, I would like to add that in the changed economic conditions, the importance of this project has seriously increased. Pipeline gas supplies to the Kaliningrad region could be threatened at any time due to Lithuania's political positions. In such a situation, liquefied natural gas may remain one of the few types of fuel that will guarantee the energy security of the region. To do this, it is necessary to more actively develop the capacity of underground gas storage in the region, so that in the event of negative developments, it will be possible to form the reserves of “blue fuel” necessary for the region.

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Sergey Latyshev

+2

9 December 2023 11: 05

The difference in price will still fall on the population. Everyone sees how the government carries out orders.
Well, multi-vector is the right solution.
There is no hope that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will come to a good agreement on pumping. Lavrov is not famous for this at all, not for profitable agreements.
1. svoroponov
  
  0
  
  10 December 2023 16: 01
  
  Who are you planning to enter into profitable contracts with for pumping? With the Lithuanians? It will probably be easier for Lavrov to persuade a telegraph pole than these brakes. They have great hatred and envy towards Russia.
Vladimirus

+8

9 December 2023 11: 38

when they built SP-2, it was necessary to immediately make a diversion to Kaliningrad and now there would not be such problems, but they were in a hurry and the money blurred their eyes, they thought it was obvious that it was expensive, and the stingy pays twice
1. Elena123
  
  -1
  
  9 December 2023 22: 35
  
  Did they blow up both joint ventures?
2. boriz
  
  0
  
  10 December 2023 10: 28
  
  In the current version of the project, coordination with all the Baltic countries passed amazingly quickly. This was done by a Danish company. Documents were drawn up in the languages of all these countries, and they were probably submitted to whoever needed them... In short, the company was up to the task. She coped brilliantly with the joint venture and was invited to the joint venture 2. With the same brilliant result.
  Among these coordinating countries are such notorious Russophobes as Poland and Tribaltika. But there were no problems with approval. Because Germany was vitally interested in the project. Where else did sane politicians rule then?
  It was then that Europe was flooded with idiots, Russophobes and collaborators like Scholz, Anya-Lena, Kaya Callas, Sana Marin, etc.
  But if the project had a branch to Kaliningrad, issues of approval and joint financing could arise. This issue may have been discussed, but we most likely will not know about it.
3. svoroponov
  
  0
  
  10 December 2023 15: 30
  
  After blowing up the Streams, there is water in the pipes. And the outlet would have flooded. Although if there were remote cut-off units, then maybe not. Although then such a sabotage of such a highway even in
  It was difficult to imagine in my thoughts. .Gazprom uses its own LNG for Kaliningrad or exchanges it if necessary. In addition, our LNG is cheaper than imported gas and has a smaller logistics delivery distance. That’s why people in Europe are trying to buy it, even despite the bans and sanctions. There seems to be not one vessel, but two. Vysotsk helps, if necessary, they can send one of those who works to remove LNG from those enterprises. There were exercises two years ago, when ours completed the construction of two gas-fired thermal power plants there. The region has become self-sufficient in heat and electricity, some can even be sold. You can’t imagine how, along with the nuclear power plants in Belarus and these stations, this infuriated the Lithuanians.
Sergey3939

0

9 December 2023 13: 12

I would like to note that a natural gas liquefaction plant was launched in the Leningrad region. And gas is not pumped into the gas transportation system, but into a gas storage facility that was built in Romanovo, at the entry points of the gas pipeline from sea to land.
1. Viktor Anufriev
  
  0
  
  10 December 2023 11: 38
  
  You are confusing the gas and it can directly enter the gas transportation system. Please, here is a quote from the Gazprom website.
  
  The regasification process begins on the vessel after it is moored to the pier. The gas, converted into a gaseous state, is then sent to the existing gas transmission system through the constructed 13-kilometer gas connection pipeline. The gas is then supplied to consumers or pumped into the Kaliningrad underground storage facility.
lance is gone

0

9 December 2023 21: 27

But is it difficult to lay a gas pipeline from the existing line to Kaliningrad?
1. Elena123
  
  0
  
  9 December 2023 22: 36
  
  And who will give consent to this? The sea is not ours but NATO’s.
2. boriz
  
  0
  
  10 December 2023 10: 32
  
  I wrote a little higher about the process of approving the joint venture and joint venture2 projects.
  In modern conditions we will definitely not get this agreement.
  1. svoroponov
    
    +1
    
    10 December 2023 15: 36
    
    It was there and is not needed for such a withdrawal. There are our economic and territorial waters, plus slightly neutral ones. Most likely there was an agreement with the participants in these streams and some kind of guarantees. What is happening now is practically an economic war that can become hot at any moment.
Owl

0

10 December 2023 11: 57

Remembering the undermining of the Nord Streams, we must not forget about the protection (defense) of this gas delivery system. Remember the death of "Admiral Nakhimov" ("Vittorio Cesare") on the roadstead of Sevastopol!
unc-2

0

11 December 2023 09: 00

Every city should have a reserve for literally everything, and Kaliningrad even more so. We have a floating nuclear power plant in the north. It would be nice to send such a station to this city. But the most important thing is to prevent a blockade of Kaliningrad. All shipping, civil and military, must operate in the Baltic Sea. All aggression against the courts should be placed on the states that allowed this. In some cases, you always need to be firm.