Finnish state-owned gas trader Gasum has resumed its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Kryogaz-Vysotsk LNG plant in Russia. The LNG imports were suspended in April 2023, and during that time, there were no activities from Gasum's tankers at the Vysotsk port. However, recent data showed that Gasum's LNG tanker, the Coral Energice, delivered an LNG cargo to Finland via the port of Tornio on 3rd July.

A Gasum spokesperson confirmed that they have picked up LNG from Vysotsk and added that their long-term export contract with Gazprom Export, a Gazprom subsidiary managing exports from Kryogaz-Vysotsk, remains unchanged. Despite the suspension, Gasum continued to have a take-or-pay deal with Gazprom Export, meaning they had to pay a penalty for not taking a minimum amount of goods.

The resumption of LNG imports brings some relief to Finland's gas supply, which faced disruptions since early 2022 due to the Ukraine invasion. In May 2022, Gazprom cut off all pipeline-based gas imports to Finland during a payment dispute with Gasum. Finland refused Russia's demand to pay for gas supplies in roubles to bypass sanctions related to the invasion. As a result, Russia halted pipeline gas exports to Finland, which heavily relied on Russian gas for its heavy and chemical industries.

In May 2023, Gasum terminated its pipeline gas contract with Gazprom, leading to a severed pipeline link between the two countries. The resumption of LNG imports provides a much-needed supply boost to Finland's energy mix, especially for industries that are yet to find viable alternatives to natural gas.