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Released March 18, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Since the decision to wean itself from Russian natural gas following that country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe's imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. have been increasing, now sitting as the primary destination for U.S. LNG exports. Reuters cites data from LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) showing that 7.25 million metric tons (86%) of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe in January 2025, followed by 8.82 million metric tons (82%) in February. As this new trade dynamic gradually takes hold, Europe is building out its LNG regasification infrastructure. These projects have gained importance as the U.S. will in all likelihood export even more LNG this year as three new production and export plants come online.
While the new LNG plants in the U.S. will take some time ramping up to full production, their additional capacity seems only a precursor of what's to come as the Trump administration has paused a Biden-era moratorium on the approval of new LNG projects in the U.S. New permits issued by the Trump administration would likely increase exports from 2030, given the construction time of these large plants. According to Reuters, the U.S. exported 88.3 million tons of LNG in 2024, and three new plants coming online this year could eventually add nearly 50 million tons more of annual production. The three new plants coming online this year are:
Italy's proposed regasification investment is dominated by two planned terminals, both of which have been given by Industrial Info a low probability (0-69%) of occurring as planned. When looking only at medium- and high-probability projects (70-99% chance as planned), Italy's investment drops to US$756 million, while Germany's remains unchanged at more than US$1.3 billion.
Construction of Germany's largest underway LNG terminal kicked off in mid-2024 in Stade, Lower Saxony. When completed in 2027, the regasification terminal will have a throughput capacity of 13.3 billion cubic meters per year and also will house two 240,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tanks. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Terminals Project Database can click here for more details on the project.
Another large terminal in Germany also is expected to go online in 2027. The German arm of NV Nederlandse Gasunie (Groningen, Netherlands) is underway with a plant in Brunsbuettel with an 8 billion-cubic-meter-year throughput capacity and two 165,000-cubic-meter storage tanks. In addition to a dedicated marine jetty for bunkering and small-scale distribution, the plant also will have truck- and rail-loading facilities. The plant is expected to begin operating in mid-2027. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
Baltic state Estonia is nearing completion of a regasification terminal that the company hopes will help end its previous reliance on Russian gas and process LNG from other locales. Work on the terminal in Paldiski began in 2023 and is expected to wrap up this summer. The facility will be able to regasify 2.5 billion to 4 billion cubic meters per year of LNG and will house two 160,000-cubic-meter cryogenic storage facilities. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.
Europe's largest pipeline gas supplier, the Netherlands, is adding to its LNG regasification capacity with the expansion of a terminal in Rotterdam through a joint venture of Royal Vopak (Rotterdam) and Nederlands Gasunie. The Gate terminal is preparing to take in more LNG with the construction of two additional jetties, a fourth 180,000-cubic-meter LNG-storage tank and additional regasification equipment to lift capacity 4 billion cubic meters per year to 20 billion. Work on the project kicked off last year, with contractor VINCI Construction Grands Projects (Nanterre Cedex, France) heading up the work, which is expected to be completed in mid-2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
While many of these projects have been planned since the bloc's decision to wean itself from Russian gas, many of them are now approaching completion, which will allow locales to further entrench their LNG imports from other parts of the world. As the U.S. gears up for nearly 50 MTPA in additional export capacity in the near future, European import terminals cannot come too soon.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for many of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
While the new LNG plants in the U.S. will take some time ramping up to full production, their additional capacity seems only a precursor of what's to come as the Trump administration has paused a Biden-era moratorium on the approval of new LNG projects in the U.S. New permits issued by the Trump administration would likely increase exports from 2030, given the construction time of these large plants. According to Reuters, the U.S. exported 88.3 million tons of LNG in 2024, and three new plants coming online this year could eventually add nearly 50 million tons more of annual production. The three new plants coming online this year are:
- Venture Global LNG's (NYSE:VG) (Arlington, Virginia) Plaquemines facility in Louisiana. This plant already is operating near peak capacity as reported earlier this month by Industrial Info. For more information, see March 3, 2025, article - Newly Launched Plaquemines LNG Terminal Close to Peak Capacity. The 18-train facility at Plaquemines will be the second-largest LNG export facility in the country, with 20 million tons per ton annum (MTPA) of capacity. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
- Cheniere Energy Incorporated's (Houston, Texas) Stage 3 development in Corpus Christi, Texas, which will provide 10 MTPA production capacity. For more information, see March 18, 2025, article - Cheniere Completes First Train of Stage 3 Project at Corpus Christi. (See project report.)
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) (Spring, Texas) and QatarEnergy's (Doha, Qatar) Golden Pass project in Texas, which is expected to begin first production this year and will have a peak capacity of 18.1 MTPA. (See related project reports.)
Italy's proposed regasification investment is dominated by two planned terminals, both of which have been given by Industrial Info a low probability (0-69%) of occurring as planned. When looking only at medium- and high-probability projects (70-99% chance as planned), Italy's investment drops to US$756 million, while Germany's remains unchanged at more than US$1.3 billion.
Construction of Germany's largest underway LNG terminal kicked off in mid-2024 in Stade, Lower Saxony. When completed in 2027, the regasification terminal will have a throughput capacity of 13.3 billion cubic meters per year and also will house two 240,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tanks. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Terminals Project Database can click here for more details on the project.
Another large terminal in Germany also is expected to go online in 2027. The German arm of NV Nederlandse Gasunie (Groningen, Netherlands) is underway with a plant in Brunsbuettel with an 8 billion-cubic-meter-year throughput capacity and two 165,000-cubic-meter storage tanks. In addition to a dedicated marine jetty for bunkering and small-scale distribution, the plant also will have truck- and rail-loading facilities. The plant is expected to begin operating in mid-2027. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
Baltic state Estonia is nearing completion of a regasification terminal that the company hopes will help end its previous reliance on Russian gas and process LNG from other locales. Work on the terminal in Paldiski began in 2023 and is expected to wrap up this summer. The facility will be able to regasify 2.5 billion to 4 billion cubic meters per year of LNG and will house two 160,000-cubic-meter cryogenic storage facilities. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.
Europe's largest pipeline gas supplier, the Netherlands, is adding to its LNG regasification capacity with the expansion of a terminal in Rotterdam through a joint venture of Royal Vopak (Rotterdam) and Nederlands Gasunie. The Gate terminal is preparing to take in more LNG with the construction of two additional jetties, a fourth 180,000-cubic-meter LNG-storage tank and additional regasification equipment to lift capacity 4 billion cubic meters per year to 20 billion. Work on the project kicked off last year, with contractor VINCI Construction Grands Projects (Nanterre Cedex, France) heading up the work, which is expected to be completed in mid-2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
While many of these projects have been planned since the bloc's decision to wean itself from Russian gas, many of them are now approaching completion, which will allow locales to further entrench their LNG imports from other parts of the world. As the U.S. gears up for nearly 50 MTPA in additional export capacity in the near future, European import terminals cannot come too soon.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for many of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
