Las importaciones de gas natural licuado (GNL) a España y al conjunto de la Unión Europea desde Estados Unidos: del debate sobre el fracking y la geopolítica de los flujos de suministros energéticos

Abstract

IMPORTS OF LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) TO SPAIN AND TO THE EUROPEAN UNION FROM THE UNITED STATES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DEBATE ON FRACKING AND GEOPOLITICS OF FLOWS OF ENERGY SUPPLIES. In the last five years, the debate about fracking has been wider than the question of hydrocarbon research permits granted in Spain. The United States has developed an export strategy for shale gas production to European Union countries. These exports to Europe are aimed at reducing the role of Russia as the main gas supplier in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. On the other hand, these imports have been rejected by environmental groups. This article studies the evolution of liquefied natural gas imports in Spain and the European Union, especially imports from the United States. In addition, I will analyse the role of Spain in the geopolitics of energy. Spain is one of the main importers of liquefied natural gas, after Japan, South Korea, China, India, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. In 2017, the United States became the sixth largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and Spain was the fifth main destination of these emerging exchanges. In addition, the European Union received 11.2% of the total LNG exported by the world’s first economy.