Almost 50% more LNG arrived in port of Zeebrugge since start of 2022
Because of the war in the Ukraine, the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) via the Belgian port of Zeebrugge has increased substantially. That is what the commercial director of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges said on Tuesday during an interview in the margin of the economic summit in the United Kingdom. In the first months of the year, imports rose by 47 percent.
The port of Zeebrugge imports 15 percent of LNG for Europe. "It arrives via pipelines from the UK and Norway, but also via ships. We still see ships from Russia today, but also a lot more from Qatar and the United States," Houtekiet said. "We see that people are getting ready and stockpiling in case LNG would be in one of the next sanction packages against Russia, which is why Qatar and the US are increasing deliveries significantly."
As such, the war is actually having a positive effect for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in the short term, "as strange as it is to say that," Houtekiet said. A few thousand cars are blocked in Zeebrugge and a few thousand containers have to be inspected, but all in all the impact is small.
The impact is bigger in the Belgian North Sea Port, but no dramatic consequences are expected there either. In terms of volume, Russia is the first country for the port, especially for raw materials used for industry. "But I am convinced that Russian coal, for example, will be replaced by South African or Australian coal. Companies will find other sources," says CEO Daan Schalk. "The real problem is the war itself. I think the economic impact is going to be similar to that of Brexit: the short-term effects will be manageable. For us, we are talking about a loss of 300,000-400,000 tonnes out of a total of 70 million."
The two port chiefs are however worried about the impact of high energy prices and inflation. "You can already see that long-term investment projects are being postponed," says Hautekiet. Schalk also points out that an end to the war does not mean that the sanctions will be lifted immediately. "The idea of being independent of Russian oil and gas will continue to exist in Europe."
That is why it is so important to work together as ports for this energy transition, according to the two top men. We do not have enough green energy in Europe to be self-sufficient, they argue. "We must use the North Sea to generate as much offshore energy as possible for electricity, because we are not going to use hydrogen for that. By maximising the use of wind turbines and by connecting the UK to the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, for example, where they have more energy than they need."
Schalk also points out that the port of the future should not only look at volumes. "By reserving a piece of land for the hydrolysis of hydrogen, you can offer enormous added value," he says.
(KR)
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The LNG fluxys terminal in the port of Zeebrugge © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER