UK fuel exports to Netherlands up by 67% in June, data shows

theguardian.com:

Energy exports from the UK to the Netherlands rocketed by 67% in June, official figures reveal, in the latest sign of Europe’s scramble to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas.

British exports of fossil fuels more than doubled in value in June compared with the same period last year, the latest trading data from HMRC shows.

More than £1bn of that went to the Netherlands, home to some of the continent’s biggest gas storage facilities.

The figures come as countries across Europe rush to bank energy supplies for the winter as Russiarestricts flows of gas via its Nord Stream 1 pipeline in an apparent attempt to press them to drop their support for Ukraine.

Dutch natural gas storage facilities were filled to 50% of their capacity at the end of June, about two months earlier than normal. The filling of the facilities accelerated in May when the Dutch government offered a €400m (£339bn) subsidy for gas companies to fill storage facilities during the summer season.

The Netherlands also instructed its state-owned natural gas company to fill up storage left empty by Gazprom at the giant Bergermeer facility as Europe including the UK rushes to bank supplies for winter in the absence of the Russian pipeline.

The HMRC figures do not specify the original source of the UK’s energy exports, but show a near tripling in fossil fuel imports in the second quarter of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021 – with nearly £5bn more imported in June 2022 than the same month last year. This suggests a large proportion of the exports could include oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) brought into UK ports that was then sent on abroad.

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