Hormuz strikes widen as Edison faces LNG force majeure

A second tanker carrying Qatari liquefied natural gas has been struck in the Strait of Hormuz within a month, as the GasLog Shanghai was hit while leaving the strategic waterway, according to Euronews.

The incident comes weeks after the Al Rekayyat was hit in the same area, and Italian utility Edison said QatarEnergy had extended force majeure on a further three cargoes, bringing the total affected to 24 shipments through September, Euronews reported.

The widening disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies, has direct implications for Italy, which relies on imported LNG to meet its energy needs.

The strike on the GasLog Shanghai marks an escalation in the threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world's liquefied natural gas passes. Euronews reported that the vessel was struck while leaving the strait, a route that has become increasingly perilous for energy carriers.

For Italy, the news is particularly significant. Edison, one of the country's major energy utilities, has confirmed that QatarEnergy's force majeure now affects 24 cargoes through September, a substantial portion of the LNG Italy had expected to receive. The disruption is likely to put further pressure on Italian energy prices and raise questions about the security of supply as the country enters the peak summer demand period.

The Guardian's coverage of the broader energy crunch in south-eastern Europe, including Romania's unusual step of detonating a rock in the Danube to increase water flow to cool a nuclear power plant, underscores the fragility of Europe's energy infrastructure under heatwave conditions. Italy, with its own heat alerts affecting nearly all major cities, faces a double challenge of high demand and constrained supply.

The situation in Hormuz adds a geopolitical dimension to Italy's energy challenges. As a NATO member and a major importer of Qatari gas, Rome finds itself caught between its energy dependence on the region and its security alliances. The foreign press has noted that the strikes on tankers in the strait represent a direct challenge to the free flow of energy, a concern that resonates in Rome, where the government has been monitoring the situation closely.