Dutch Effort to End Russian LNG Import Impeded by Total Deal
- Netherlands stuck with Total contract sourced from Yamal LNG
- Contract began in 2018 and government says it can’t intervene
The Yamal LNG plant on the Yamal Peninsula.
Photographer: Maxim Zmeyev/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
A long-term liquefied natural gas contract between TotalEnergies SE and a Russian supplier has become an uncomfortable obstacle to the Dutch government’s pledge to end imports of the fuel from Russia.
The Netherlands stopped signing new contracts for Russian LNG imports last year, and has been working on winding down supply agreements struck before then. However, the nation is stuck with the imports because the government can’t legally end agreements between two private companies, according to people familiar with the matter.