Spain has purchased a record amount of Russian gas despite sanctions

In March 2026, Spain purchased the largest shipment of gas from Russia in its history. This occurred against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, which has significantly impacted the structure of energy supplies to Europe.

This was reported by the Spanish newspaper El País, citing data from the gas system operator Enagás.

According to Enagás, Spain received 9,807 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of Russian gas in March. This is more than during the 2023 energy crisis, when prices skyrocketed. Compared to February, the increase was more than double.

EU sanctions formally restrict energy purchases from Russia, but the schedule for their gradual implementation allows for gas imports from Moscow until 2027.

Why now?

Gas market analysts have cited several reasons for the record purchases:

• Attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran caused a sharp rise in gas prices—from about 30 euros per MWh to over 60 euros. Currently, the price on the TTF spot market is around 42 euros.

• Due to hostilities in the Persian Gulf, Qatar and the UAE have sharply reduced exports following strikes on their own energy infrastructure.

• Due to sanctions, Russia has fewer buyers, so it is lowering prices—and Russian gas has become more cost-effective than alternatives.

• At the end of April, an EU regulation banning the purchase of Russian gas on the spot market will take effect. This may have prompted traders to increase purchases ahead of time.

Spain is not just a consumer

The country has six regasification plants—in Barcelona, Cartagena, Huelva, Bilbao, Sagunto, and Mugarzos. This allows major international traders to store gas there not only for the Spanish market but also for resale to other destinations.

At the same time, domestic consumption has also risen. Demand in March increased by 2%, while gas usage for electricity generation rose by 46.8%. This is due to the fact that the power grid operator Red Eléctrica ramped up operations at gas turbine power plants to prevent large-scale blackouts.

What’s Next for Russian Gas

Major operators, such as Naturgy, maintain stable long-term contracts with Russia and are not increasing volumes. But the situation may change next year: the EU plans to ban imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia starting in January, and pipeline gas in the fall of 2027.

Some member states are already questioning these plans—closing the Russian route without alternatives is difficult.

Alternatives are being sought, but time is running out

Spain is actively seeking a replacement. Negotiations to increase the capacity of the Medgaz pipeline from Algeria—the country’s main supplier—are still ongoing. Since Donald Trump took office, purchases of American gas have doubled, partly as part of trade negotiations on tariffs.