More than One Third of Gas Supplies Coming to Slovakia from Non-Russian Sources

Vysoke Tatry, 26 September (TASR) - Non-Russian sources account for more than a third of Slovakia's gas supplies, with 30 to 40 percent of the total volume being delivered from Norway or LNG terminals on the basis of contracts with several global suppliers, such as Shell and Eni, said Richard Kvasnovsky, Executive Director of the Slovak Gas and Oil Association (SGOA) on Friday, following the signing of a memorandum on technical cooperation between the SGOA and the Czech Gas Association. "Currently, we are importing Russian gas under a long-term contract valid until 2034, which has been signed between [Slovakia's gas utility] SPP and Gazprom Export. Under the REPowerEU programme, the European Commission is proposing a complete phase-out of Russian energy supplies, likely by early 2027, though this remains subject to negotiations," Kvasnovsky explained. In recent years, Slovakia invested in gas interconnectors with neighbouring countries. Russian gas is now entering Slovakia from the south via Hungary and the TurkStream pipeline. Slovakia is therefore no longer dependent on a single route from the east. For instance, in addition to Hungary, gas can also flow from Austria and the Czech Republic. "We can basically get gas from all directions. None of our customers has experienced any shortage, all of them are receiving the ordered volumes," he said, adding that gas is still transiting through Slovakia to Ukraine, which is currently buying as much as possible ahead of winter. However, Ukraine's storage facilities remain underfilled, leaving the country in a risky situation, he noted. In Slovakia, preparations for the winter season are also in progress, with storage facilities currently filled to more than 76 percent. It is reasonable to expect that the level required by the European Commission will be reached in November or December, according to Kvasnovsky. "We are ready for all scenarios, but we're saying that Russian gas remains the most cost-effective option for us, as we are not paying the so-called transit fees," said Kvasnovsky. jrg