Russia’s natural gas and coal exports have been decreasing and shifting toward Asia
U.S. Energy Information Administration
EIA provides energy statistics and analyses for sound policy making, efficient markets, and public education.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both Russia’s natural gas and coal exports have declined when compared with 2021.
Russian exports to Europe have decreased most notably due to a mix of European sanctions and other policies aimed at reducing reliance on Russian energy. Russia has partially offset the decrease in natural gas and coal exports to European markets by increasing exports to Asia. However, pipeline and rail infrastructure to deliver natural gas and coal into Asia is less than the infrastructure capacity available for delivery into Europe, limiting the natural gas and coal exports that can be redirected without significant new infrastructure investments. For comparison, Russia has redirected crude oil and condensate exports from Europe to Asia with little new infrastructure.
Natural gas exports
Although the EU has not directly sanctioned imports of Russia’s natural gas to its member states, other policies and economic factors reduced EU imports by more than two-thirds, from 14.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2020 to 4.4 Bcf/d in 2024.
Coal exports
From 2020 to 2024, Russia’s coal exports to Europe decreased by more than half. In 2020, Europe received 32% of Russia’s coal exports; Germany, Türkiye, and the Netherlands received the largest shares. By 2024, Europe accounted for only 13% of Russia’s coal exports, almost all of which went to Türkiye, which is not an EU member. The shift away from European markets corresponds with EU sanctions that went into full effect in August 2022 and increased coal exports from the United States to Europe.
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CEO and Founder, evvolv.ai
1wInteresting thing is that the US and Europe have still not dropped their trade with Russia to 0 and rather continue to do so in billions, despite a huge public brouhaha by these nations. So a question to U.S. Energy Information Administration is - Why are you still importing billions of dollars worth of stuff from Russia - 3 years into the war 🤓 ?