EU Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic held a press conference in Brussels on the joint purchase of natural gas by energy companies in Europe.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Commission has launched today the first international tender for the joint gas purchase under the EU Energy Platform.” Sefcovic stated that they aim to increase energy supply security and combat high gas prices.
Noting that the market reaction was positive and encouraging, Sefcovic said that 107 companies have participated in the gas purchase mechanism they have established so far.
Noting that in the first tender, 77 companies from Europe requested a total of 11.6 billion cubic meters of gas purchase until May 2024, Sefcovic said that 2.8 billion cubic meters of this amount is liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Sefcovic stated that bids can be submitted until May 15 for the first tender and invited all reliable international suppliers to participate in the tender.
Prior to the Russia-Ukraine War, the EU consumed around 400 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Russia was the EU’s largest supplier of natural gas, but with the war, natural gas shipments from Russia to Europe fell drastically and an energy crisis began to occur.
