Even if the situation becomes dire, there will be enough gas for households, said Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš in an interview to TV3 programme 900 seconds.
Looking at the price rise for most goods, fuel included, Kariņš stressed that as long as Russia continues warring in Ukraine the global economy will remain fractured.
The PM said the situation in which there is no focused system to help people much come to an end. By next week there should be a system that will help list people in need of aid, with the system being adopted on 1 September. «Once the system has been developed, then we will look at the situation and how much money we need. The Ministry of Welfare has all the authority it needs to develop a system that will help us provide aid to residents,» said Kariņš.
Currently, according to information from the Ministry of Economics, there is enough gas stored in Latvia’s underground gas storage facility to satisfy demand until the end of the year
and the next heating season, depending on the weather, said the PM.
He added that Latvia continues working with Lithuania, bringing in gas through Klaipeda, as well as Finland and Estonia in the context of the expected floating liquefied natural gas terminal.
«We are doing what we can to secure products. I am not worried about that. The question is what will gas and heating cost us? But even if the situation becomes dire, there will be enough gas for households,» the PM promised.
On 19 April Latvia’s government decided the country needs its own LNG terminal. The government gave the Ministry of Economics time until 31 May to prepare a report on potential pros and cons of an LNG terminal and provide the most optimal solution to ensure security for gas supplies in the most cost-efficient way possible while also providing flexibility and alternatives for imports of liquefied natural gas in the region.
So far there have been two LNG terminal plans. US company Millennium Energy Partners LLC owned LLC Kundziņsalas dienvidu projekts has a project in development at the Freeport of Riga. The project’s potential developer claims it is the only LNG terminal project in Latvia that is ready for implementation.
JSC Skulte LNG terminal is also interested in the LNG terminal project. The company wants to build it in Saulkrasti.