GasTerra, which buys and markets gas on behalf of the Dutch government, said it had contracted elsewhere for the 2 billion cubic meters of gas it expected to receive from Gazprom by October.
The company is 50% owned by Dutch government entities and 25% owned by Shell and Exxon.
“We understand GasTerra’s decision not to accept the payment terms unilaterally imposed by Gazprom,” Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten wrote on Twitter. “This decision will have no consequences for the physical supply of gas to Dutch households.”
A GasTerra statement said the Dutch company decided not to adopt the system demanded by Russia, which involved setting up accounts to be paid in euros and then exchanged for rubles.
The company indicated that such measures could violate European Union sanctions and that the payment route presented too many financial and operational risks.
A Gazprom statement states that the suspension of gas supplies to GasTerra will continue until payments are made according to the plan proposed by Russia.
GasTerra claimed that it repeatedly asked Gazprom to adhere to its contractual payment methods and delivery obligations.
“It is not possible to say in advance what impact the withdrawal of 2 billion cubic meters of Russian gas will have on the supply and demand situation in the European market,” the Dutch company added.
Economy Ministry spokesman Pieter ten Bruggencate said the Netherlands will not launch its gas emergency plan to ask industrial users to reduce their consumption. “It is not yet considered a threat to supply,” he said.
A spokesman for the country’s national grid operator, Gasunie, said he does not expect grid disruptions as a result of Gazprom’s cessation of deliveries to GasTerra.
Source: Ambito
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