Britain to import Russian gas under 2012 deal

Britain will begin this year to import gas from Russia under a formal contract for the first time, just as European calls to loosen Moscow's grip on energy supply mount because of the crisis over Ukraine, Reuters reported on March 21.

The country's biggest utility Centrica signed a deal in 2012 with Russian state-controlled Gazprom to import 2.4 billion cubic metres of gas over a period of three years, and the supplies will begin flowing in October.

With domestic production falling by around 7 percent a year, Britain has had to find more suppliers to fill the gap.

Supplies under this deal will begin flowing into Britain from October, a Centrica spokesman said.

Copyright: Reuters, 2014