Italy's gas imports from Russia dwindle drastically

Italy imported 31 million cubic meters of Russian gas in October, compared with 2.29 billion cubic meters in October 2021, Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper said, Report informs via TASS.

The newspaper said that the reduction in percentage terms is 98.7%.

The publication notes that in October, against the backdrop of mild weather and more efficient use of electricity, Italy consumed approximately 1.35 billion cubic meters less than a year ago, reaching a reduction of 24.2%.

In general, the newspaper writes that imports were practically stable over the first 10 months and amounted to 60.8 billion cubic meters (+2.2%), most of all imported from Algeria - 19.3 billion cubic meters. At the same time, the publication points to the depletion of national deposits due to "improper regulation and investment paralysis." Italy produced 290 million cubic meters of gas (+2.4% compared to 2021, in October and 2.77 billion cubic meters in January-October.

Previously, Italy received about 29 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russia, which accounted for 40% of the country's total demand for gas. The authorities claimed that this dependence had already been reduced by half. Italy's Minister for Ecological Transition, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, said in November that Italy's new center-right government did not intend to switch to a total phase-out of Russian gas by mid-2024.