London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 27, 2025

Russia 'burning off £8.4m worth of gas a day' as Europe grapples with energy crisis

Russia 'burning off £8.4m worth of gas a day' as Europe grapples with energy crisis

The flaring first came to light a few weeks ago when Finnish people noticed a large flame on the horizon at the Russian border. Analysis suggests around 4.34 million cubic metres of gas is being burned every day - an estimated $10m worth.

Russia is burning off large amounts of natural gas that it previously would have exported to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, analysis suggests.

Satellite monitoring of heat levels at a new liquified natural gas facility near the Finnish border indicates it has been happening since 11 July - and an estimated $10m (£8.4m) worth of gas is being burnt every day.

The flaring first came to light a few weeks ago when Finnish people noticed a large flame on the horizon at the Russian border.

Analysis by Norway-based Rystad Energy, an independent energy research company, suggests around 4.34 million cubic metres of gas is burnt each day.

This is "enough gas to supply 1.5 million European homes", Sindre Knutsson, senior vice-president of gas and LNG markets at Rystad Energy, told Sky News.

He also described the quantities of carbon dioxide produced by the plant as an "environmental disaster".

Although the flaring may be part of testing procedures at the Portovaya LNG plant or because of a lack of coordination between different operating segments, experts said "the likely magnitude and duration of this continuous flaring period is quite extreme".

Mr Knutsson said similar observations had been made by several firms which have been interpreting the satellite data, "confirming these radiant heat levels".

"A significant amount of flaring is happening at that LNG facility which is under construction at the moment," he said.

The Portovaya plant, which is northwest of St Petersburg and is due to start up this year, is close to a compressor station at the start of the Nord Stream 1 undersea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.

Supply was cut off for 10 days in July while the pipeline was undergoing annual maintenance, and while it has since resumed, the gas flow is running at a fifth of its capacity.

Gazprom, Russia's state-controlled energy company, has cited faulty or delayed equipment as the main reason behind this.

Germany disputes this, saying it is a pretext and that Moscow is using gas as a weapon to push back against Western pressure over its invasion of Ukraine - fuelling soaring prices and the deepening cost of living crisis ahead of winter.

Russia denies this, and says Western sanctions are the reason for high gas prices.

"The exact reason for the flaring happening is uncertain because there has not been any proper communication from Gazprom or Russia," Mr Knutsson said.

He said there could be a number of reasons for the flaring with Russia sitting on a "surplus of gas right now".

"There are many potential reasons but we don't know the exact one," he said.

There are also concerns about the quantities of carbon dioxide and soot the plant is creating.

"This is the equivalent of 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide on a daily basis which is really an environmental disaster," Mr Knutsson said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
×