I-EU Shifts Igxila ku-US LNG njengoba Ukuthengwa Kwegesi YaseRussia Kwehla

Eminyakeni yamuva nje, i-European Union ibisebenzela ukuhlukanisa imithombo yayo yamandla futhi yehlise ukuthembela kwayo kugesi waseRussia. Lokhu kushintshwa kwesu kudalwe izinto eziningi, okuhlanganisa ukukhathazeka ngokungezwani kwezwe kanye nesifiso sokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni. Njengengxenye yalo mzamo, i-EU iya ngokuya iphendukela e-United States ukuthola i-liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Ukusetshenziswa kwe-LNG bekulokhu kukhula ngokushesha eminyakeni yamuva, njengoba intuthuko kwezobuchwepheshe ikwenze kwaba lula futhi kungabizi kakhulu ukuthutha igesi amabanga amade. I-LNG igesi yemvelo eye yapholiswa yaba yisimo esiwuketshezi, esinciphisa umthamo wayo ngesilinganiso esingu-600. Lokhu kwenza kube lula kakhulu ukuthutha nokugcina, njengoba ingathunyelwa ngamathangi amakhulu futhi igcinwe emathangeni amancane uma kuqhathaniswa.

Enye yezinzuzo eziyinhloko ze-LNG ukuthi ingatholakala ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene. Ngokungafani negesi yamapayipi evamile, ekhawulelwa indawo, i-LNG ingakhiqizwa noma kuphi futhi ithunyelwe kunoma iyiphi indawo enechweba. Lokhu kwenza kube inketho ekhangayo emazweni afuna ukuhlukanisa amandla awo.

Ku-European Union, ukushintshela e-US LNG kunemiphumela ebalulekile. Ngokomlando, i-Russia ibilokhu ihlinzeka ngegesi yemvelo enkulu kunazo zonke e-EU, ehlanganisa cishe amaphesenti angama-40 akho konke okuthengiswayo. Nokho, ukukhathazeka ngethonya laseRussia lezombangazwe nezomnotho kuye kwabangela amazwe amaningi e-EU ukuba afune enye imithombo yegesi.

I-United States iqhamuke njengomdlali obalulekile kule makethe, ngenxa yobuningi bayo begesi yemvelo kanye nomthamo wayo okhulayo wokuthekelisa we-LNG. Ngo-2020, i-US yaba ngumhlinzeki wesithathu ngobukhulu we-LNG ku-EU, ngemuva kweQatar neRussia kuphela. Kodwa-ke, lokhu kulindeleke ukuthi kushintshe eminyakeni ezayo njengoba ukuthunyelwa kwe-US kwamanye amazwe kuqhubeka nokukhula.

Enye yezinto ezihamba phambili zalokhu kukhula ukuqedwa kwezindawo ezintsha zokuthekelisa i-LNG e-US Eminyakeni yamuva nje, izinsiza ezintsha ezimbalwa ziye zatholakala ku-inthanethi, okuhlanganisa netheminali iSabine Pass eLouisiana kanye netheminali yaseCove Point eMaryland. Lezi zikhungo zikhulise kakhulu umthamo wokuthekelisa wase-US, okwenza kube lula ezinkampanini zaseMelika ukuthi zidayisele i-LNG ezimakethe zaphesheya kwezilwandle. 

Esinye isici esiqhubekisela phambili ukushintshela e-US LNG ukuncintisana okwandayo kwamanani entengo kaphethiloli waseMelika. Ngenxa yentuthuko yobuchwepheshe bokumba, ukukhiqizwa kwegesi yemvelo e-US kuye kwanda eminyakeni yamuva, kwehlisa amanani futhi kwenza igesi yaseMelika ikhange kakhulu kubathengi baphesheya kwezilwandle. Ngenxa yalokho, amazwe amaningi e-EU manje aphendukela e-US LNG njengendlela yokunciphisa ukuncika kwawo kugesi waseRussia ngenkathi futhi ethola ukutholakala okuthembekile kwamandla athengekayo.

Sekukonke, ukushintshela e-US LNG kumelele ushintsho olukhulu emakethe yamandla omhlaba. Njengoba amazwe amaningi ephendukela ku-LNG njengendlela yokuguqula imithombo yawo yamandla, isidingo salo phethiloli kungenzeka siqhubeke sikhula. Lokhu kunemithelela ebalulekile kubo bobabili abakhiqizi nakubathengi begesi yemvelo, kanye nasemnothweni obanzi womhlaba.

Sengiphetha, nakuba ukuthembela kwe-European Union kugesi yaseRussia kungase kwehle, isidingo sayo samandla athembekile futhi athengekayo sisalokhu siqinile kunangaphambili. Ngokuphendukela ku-US LNG, i-EU ithatha isinyathelo esibalulekile ekuhlukaniseni amandla ayo futhi iqinisekise ukuthi iyakwazi ukufinyelela kumthombo othembekile kaphethiloli eminyakeni ezayo.