Europe's LNG Imports from Russia Grow in First Six Months

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The European Union (EU) imported 4.4 billion euros (US$5.1 billion) of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the first six months of the year, a notable jump on the 3.47 billion euro (US$4 billion) spent in the same period last year.

The EU's official statistics body, Eurostat, reported that the bloc spent 26.9 billion euro (US$31.3 billion) on LNG for the first half of the year, with the U.S. supplying the largest share at 13.7 billion euros (US$16 billion). The 30% spike in Russian imports year-on-year comes despite increased sanctions against Russian energy imports because of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The EU has been more successful in stopping imports of natural gas in its gaseous state thanks to relevant sanctions, but LNG imports have yet to be sanctioned, and LNG is still purchased in large amounts by a number of key EU Member States. According to Deutsche Welle, the lack of restrictive measures on LNG meant it was actively purchased, in particular, by Spain, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. At the same time, countries including Austria, Poland and the Baltic countries have voluntarily refused Russian gas imports. Russia has managed to circumvent some of the EU restrictions through the use of a shadow fleet of tankers and deliveries to ports in countries outside of the EU.

In June, the European Commission (EC) announced legislation to ban all Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027. It will cover a stepwise phase-out of pipeline gas and LNG "originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation." It will also cover the complete stop of Russian oil imports by the end of 2027. Russian gas imports under new contracts will be prohibited as of 1 January 2026. Imports under existing short-term contracts will be stopped by 17 June 2026, except those for pipeline gas delivered to land-locked countries and linked to long-term contracts which will be allowed until the end of 2027. Imports under long-term contracts will be stopped by the end of 2027. For additional information, see June 23, 2025, article - Europe to Ban All Russian Oil & Gas by 2027.

Last month, the Commission noted that it has enough storage capacity to take in more imports of LNG, including from the U.S.. "Currently, 13 member states possess the necessary infrastructure to import LNG," it stated. "The EU has ample spare capacity to accommodate additional LNG imports, including from the U.S., to replace Russian gas imports." Industrial Info is tracking 127 LNG-related projects in Europe worth more than US$11 billion in investment. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports.

The Commission referred to 12 new LNG import terminals constructed over the past two years, leading to a situation of overcapacity. "The EU's total LNG import capacity now amounts to around 250 billion cubic metres [bcm] per year, more than double the current annual LNG imports." For additional information, see August 05, 2025, article - EU Says It Can Handle More LNG.

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