Supplies of natural gas from Norway to the rest of Europe, transported by pipelines, may reach the record levels reached in 2017. This was stated to Reuters by Frode Leversund, CEO of the Norwegian state gas company "Gasco" (Gassco), writes BTA.
Since the beginning of the year, gas supplies from Norway to other European countries have increased by 10 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
"Since the beginning of the year so far, we have returned to the levels we achieved in 2022," Leversund noted in an interview with Reuters.
At the end of July, Norwegian pipeline gas deliveries amounted to 70.2 billion cubic meters compared to 64 billion cubic meters in the same period last year, the CEO of "Gasco" reported.
The increase comes on the back of strong demand for Norwegian blue fuel from Gasco's European customers, lighter maintenance work that has had to be carried out on gas infrastructure, and thanks to the modernization of the gas terminal export of gas "Kolsnes".
In 2023, the company "Gasco" has delivered a total of 109.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Germany, Denmark, France, Great Britain and Belgium. This is 6.7 percent less than deliveries in 2022, which totaled 116.9 billion cubic meters.
If throughout 2024 blue fuel supplies increase by 10 percent, the record level of 117.4 billion cubic meters achieved in 2017 could even be improved, says Frode Leversund.
After Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and restricted or stopped the supply of natural gas to a number of European countries, Norway became the largest supplier of the blue fuel to Europe.