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Spain posts first month without Russian LNG imports in five years

Spain posts first month without Russian LNG imports in five years

Built World

Zero-import September is the first concrete step of Europe's scheduled phase-out of Russian gas

October 16th, 2026: CREA reports EU Russian LNG purchases up 60% in September

Overview

Updated Oct 20

Spain imported no liquefied natural gas from Russia in September, the first full month without Russian cargoes in five years. Grid operator Enagás published the figures on October 9.

Spain's zero is an outlier. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air reported on October 16 that EU purchases of Russian LNG rose 60% in September to €615 million, with France, the Netherlands and Portugal the only European buyers. US gas filled Spain's gap, with shipments up 80% year-on-year, while Spanish storage ended September at 75%, down from 87% a year earlier.

Why it matters

Spain shows a Russian gas cut is possible, but EU purchases of Russian LNG rose 60% in September as the ban nears.

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Key Indicators

0
Russian LNG share of Spain's September imports
First zero-month since September 2021, before the Ukraine invasion.
48.2%
US share of Spain's September gas supply
US shipments rose 80% year-on-year to 13,461 GWh.
75%
Spanish underground gas storage at end of September
Down from 87% a year earlier, 13.7% lower.
15.2%
Russia's share of Spain's gas imports, Jan–Sep 2026
Russia remains Spain's third-largest supplier year-to-date.
€615M
EU purchases of Russian LNG in September
Up 60% from August, per the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air; France, the Netherlands and Portugal were the only buyers.

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Organizations Involved

Enagás
Enagás
Gas grid operator
State-controlled operator publishing the monthly import data behind this story

Spain's gas system operator, the source of the September zero-import figure.
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)
Energy research institute
Warns European storage is at its lowest autumn level since 2011 and consumption may need to fall

US-based research group tracking European gas markets and storage.
Yamal LNG (Novatek)
Yamal LNG (Novatek)
Liquefied natural gas producer
Holds the long-term contracts that supply most Russian gas to Spain

Arctic LNG venture led by Russian firm Novatek; its long-term contracts face the EU ban.
Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air
Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air
Research Organization
Reported on October 16, 2026 that EU Russian LNG imports rose 60% in September while Spain took none

Finland-based research group tracking fossil fuel trade and air pollution.

Timeline

February 2022 January 2027

10 events Latest: October 16th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. EU ban on Russian LNG takes effect

    Upcoming Policy

    EU ban on Russian LNG imports takes effect, completing the phase-out.

  2. CREA reports EU Russian LNG purchases up 60% in September

    Latest Report

    The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said EU imports of Russian LNG rose 60% from August to €615 million, with France, the Netherlands and Portugal the only buyers. It said Spain took no Russian LNG but did receive a cargo of oil products refined from Russian crude, despite an EU ban that took effect on January 21.

  3. Enagás confirms zero Russian LNG imports

    Release

    Enagás confirms Spain went a full month without Russian LNG for the first time in five years.

  4. EU paid €7.9bn for Russian Arctic LNG in first nine months of 2026

    Report

    Urgewald analysis of Kpler data shows the EU paid €7.9bn for Russian Arctic LNG in Jan-Sep 2026. That's a record 12.18 million tonnes, even as Spain cut imports to zero.

  5. EU storage hits record low for the date

    Market data

    EU gas storage sits at 72.4%, lowest for that date since tracking began in 2011.

  6. Spain starts October with nine-year-low LNG stocks

    Market data

    Spain entered October with LNG inventories at their lowest for the date in nine years, after a September with no Russian cargoes.

  7. Russia says Europe bought more LNG than a year earlier

    Statement

    Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia supplied 12 million tonnes of LNG to Europe in the first nine months of 2026, more than a year earlier, and that buyers were stocking up before the January 1 ban.

  8. US law lets Washington sanction Russian LNG trade

    Policy

    The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act lets Washington sanction Yamal's management, foreign vessels knowingly carrying Russian LNG, and the port operators serving them. The first review under the act is due October 18, 2026.

  9. Spain imports no Russian LNG

    Market shift

    Spain imports no Russian LNG in September, first time since September 2021.

  10. Russia invades Ukraine

    Conflict

    Russia invades Ukraine; the EU begins sanction packages targeting Russian energy.

Scenarios

1

Russia drops out of Spain's gas mix as EU ban takes hold

Likely Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: EU regulators and Enagás; the ban was scheduled for January 2027

The September zero-month reflects the EU's planned phase-out. Short- and medium-term Russian gas contracts face bans from the end of 2026, and long-term contracts like those tied to Yamal LNG from January 2027. If the zero continues through October–December and into the ban, Russia's 15.2% year-to-date share collapses to nothing.

2

Colder-than-usual winter strains European gas storage

Possible Resolves by Apr 15, 2027

Discussed by: IEEFA, which warned Brussels may need to cut consumption by 7%

Spanish and EU storage are below last winter's levels — Spain at 75% versus 87%, the EU at 72.4%, a record low for early October. A cold snap would force more spot LNG purchases; IEEFA estimates closing the gap could cost about €3 billion. Prices could spike well above last winter's.

3

Spain resumes Russian LNG imports before the ban kicks in

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Energy traders noting Russia's persistent 15.2% year-to-date share

One zero month doesn't prove a trend. Yamal LNG long-term contracts run into 2027, and a single cold month or a price dip could pull Russian cargoes back in October–December. The real test is whether the September lull becomes a pattern or was a scheduling artifact.

4

EU-wide Russian LNG imports continue at record levels through 2026

Likely Resolves by Jan 1, 2027

Discussed by: Urgewald, which compiled Kpler data showing record EU Arctic LNG imports

Spain's zero-import month is an outlier. The EU as a whole paid €7.9bn for Russian Arctic LNG in the first nine months of 2026, a record 12.18 million tonnes. France received nearly three-quarters of September's deliveries. The EU ban on new Russian energy contracts took effect at the beginning of 2026, but existing long-term contracts run into 2027.

5

US sanctions hit Russian LNG before the EU ban takes effect

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: The Lindsey Graham Act, signed September 18, 2026

The law lets Washington sanction Yamal's management, foreign vessels knowingly carrying Russian LNG, and the port operators that serve them. If the first review, due October 18, names major shippers or terminals, Russia's remaining European LNG trade could shrink months before the EU's own ban on January 1, 2027.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

April–August 2022

EU coal embargo on Russia (August 2022)

In April 2022, weeks after the invasion, the EU agreed to ban Russian coal imports — its first energy sanction — phased in over four months and effective August 10, 2022. Russia had supplied a major share of EU coal.

Then

The embargo held; Europe shifted to suppliers in Australia, South Africa, and Indonesia.

Now

It established the EU's template of scheduled, phased energy bans.

Why this matters now

It showed Brussels can execute timed energy embargoes. Gas is harder because LNG is a global, competitive market.

June–September 2022

Russia cuts Nord Stream 1 flows (Summer 2022)

Russia throttled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany through summer 2022, citing turbine maintenance, cutting deliveries in stages to zero and driving European gas prices to records.

Then

Germany had to lease floating LNG terminals on an emergency basis, a process normally taking years.

Now

Proved Europe could rewire gas infrastructure under duress, but only at extreme cost.

Why this matters now

That cut was imposed by Moscow. Spain's phase-out happens on Brussels' timetable — scheduled, voluntary, and gradual.

Sources

(18)
+12
Investing.com Gas Processing & LNG Economía Digital Sur in English TodoAlicante Demócrata Euronews European Pulse Brussels Signal The Boston Report EnergyReader.io Macro Herald Investing.com (Australia) Infobae (EFE) La Nueva España Merca2 Forbes El Periódico de la Energía