The embargo on Russian oil would not affect supplies in Belgium, but would affect the cost of gasoline. Explanations.
As the war in Ukraine drags on and more atrocities are committed, the list of Western sanctions against Russia grows longer. The hydrocarbon sector is not spared. On Tuesday, the European Commission proposed to ban Russian coal. On Wednesday, European Council President Charles Michel threatened to go further: “I think action on oil and even gas will be needed sooner or later.”
A possible oil embargo would not have an immediate impact on the supply in Belgium, but on the price of gasoline. “About 30% of the oil imported from Belgium comes from Russia. Oil is transported by boat while gas is dependent on gas pipelines which are fixed“, explains Jean-Benoît Schrans, spokesperson for Energia, the sectoral federation of companies that offer energy solutions for mobility and heating. “We can therefore completely bring in boats from other regions of the world to compensate for the elimination of Russian supplies.“