Channel News Asia: Lithuania's first LNG terminal ends Russian grip on Baltics

As much of Europe anxiously awaits a Ukraine-Russia deal to avert the risk of winter gas cuts, Lithuania is breathing a sigh of relief as its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal will sever Moscow's grip on gas deliveries to the Baltic states.

Aptly dubbed Independence, the massive floating LNG facility measuring three football fields in length is due to dock in the port of Klaipeda on Oct 27. Its arrival comes just as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Europe faces "major transit risks" to gas supplies coming from Russia this winter unless Ukraine resolves a gas dispute with Moscow.

The terminal gives Lithuania the capability to import up to four billion cubic metres of gas per year from sources like Norway's Statoil - well above the 2.7 billion cubic metres it bought from Russia last year. That leaves plenty of extra capacity for its Baltic neighbours Latvia or Estonia, analysts note.
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