The European Union recently updated its gas pipeline rules in a bid to assuage concerns about its deepening dependence on Russian gas. The move was generally praised by Nord Stream 2 opponents, but guardedly, since the update did not halt the project but will merely slow it. However controversial, the project will be among the factors that will benefit gas consumers in Europe amid stiffer competition from other exporters of natural gas. Germany, the largest gas market in Europe and biggest buyer of Russian gas as well as the strongest supporter of Nord Stream, said it will build two LNG terminals as part of efforts to diversify its sources of the fuel as it phases out coal and nuclear power plants under pressure from the green lobby. U.S. LNG is a natural candidate for these terminals but not the only one: Russia’s Novatek also exports LNG to Europe, and […]