The Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom, which has been accused of causing Europe’s energy crisis, has cashed in a £179 million dividend from its London-based international trading arm.
The huge payout is likely to intensify calls for a windfall tax on fossil fuel companies that have profited from the energy price chaos, which is set to pile immense pressure on household bills.
Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd, which makes its money betting on swings in gas and power prices, said it had capitalised on the global lockdowns, which led to a drop in global demand for energy and therefore prices. It said in accounts filed at Companies House that the gas and power trading businesses were “well placed to take advantage of highly volatile market