en 
“Portugal does not depend at all on the gas pipeline that comes from Russia, all that uses gas is LNG, which arrives in Sines and is re-gasified and used in our country. Three days ago, we had 80% gas reserves and now the number is certainly higher”, so “we have very comfortable reserves”, declared João Pedro Matos Fernandes.
Speaking to Portuguese journalists in Brussels after an extraordinary meeting of the Council on the energy situation in Europe following the crisis in Ukraine, the official pointed out that Portugal receives, on average, six ships a month with LNG and by the end of March eight will arrive.
No concern
Already questioned about possible constraints in the supply of gas and fuels to Portugal, due to geopolitical tensions, João Pedro Matos Fernandes pointed out that “the quantity and availability […] are not a concern today” for the Government.
“If we move towards diesel, gasoline and crude oil, there are public reserves of 90 days of supply, to which companies are added”, he said.
The Portuguese Government is considering support, such as access to credit, for the sectors most dependent on gas, such as textiles, ceramics and glass, as well as relief for electricity consumers, the latter through the additional funds obtained with the carbon tax in the Environmental Fund, worth €150 million, added João Pedro Matos Fernandes.
Russia accounts for more than 40% of the EU's annual natural gas imports.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been causing a sharp increase in the price of gas in the EU and in global oil prices, a rise that comes in the context of an already existing spike in energy prices, given the crisis in the sector.
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I believe in transitioning to sustainable energy, if for no other reason that we will eventually run out of fossil fuels.
However, the sustainability debate has been monopolised by assorted leftists and environmentalists who simply don't understand that we cannot run our economies on sustainable energy just yet.
Our best option as a bridge to sustainable energy is nuclear energy, which has gotten much cleaner and safer over the years.
The German case study is illustrative: in an attempt to appease progressives they have shut down nuclear plants, invested billions in sustainable energy with little to show for it, and are now dependant on Russian energy sources.
Carbon taxes are another of the farcical consequences of our collective aversion to dealing with the world as it is, rather than how progressives wish it was.
Mistakes have been made, it's time to own up and give up the old game, as politically unpopular as it may be.
By Quentin Ferreira from Lisbon on 03 Mar 2022, 12:11
Quentin Ferreira, I agree completely with your comment. A very good summary of the position we find ourselves in after years of failed (or lack of ) energy policies across Europe's major economies (France perhaps excepted)
By David Innes from Algarve on 05 Mar 2022, 12:55
As a descendent of Portuguese immigrants from the Acores, I follow the news from Portugal and the Azores somewhat frequently. I am please to hear that the country has been and hopefully will continue to not rely on unstable sources of energy. In America “sustainable energy” is a cult. When you look at charts of energy consumption across the continent, those deemed sustainable contribute less than ten percent of the power anywhere at any given time. For the most part, those on the sustainable energy camp refuse to acknowledge hydroelectric as sustainable. In essence, the current administration aside we are in a catch 22. Ban oil and gas exploration for electric vehicles yet they don’t want to talk about that 90% of the power needed for these so-called electric vehicles comes from natural gas generation. I was told in the Azores that most of their electricity comes from thermal generation however I do not know where their crude oil comes from.
By Bill Fargo from USA on 10 Jul 2022, 18:20