EU pipeline gas imports on downward trend – report

Published on 18/09/2025 - 14:55 GMT+2

Imports of pipeline state to the EU dipped 9% twelvemonth connected twelvemonth successful the archetypal fractional of 2025, following halting of Russian state transit via Ukraine astatine the opening of the year, according to a caller analysis, but the bloc has increased its reliance connected liquefied earthy state (LNG).

The uptake of vigor businesslike appliances and the maturation of renewables contributed to cut the bloc’s state depletion successful caller years, according to the updated EU Gas Flows Tracker from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

However, portion the EU is presently mulling however to halt the import of lipid and gas from Moscow by the extremity of 2027, the bloc’s imports of Russian pipeline state via Türkiye person accrued successful caller years and Ankara has been wide that it won’t enactment the EU’s program to ditch Russian state imports, offering a backmost doorway for Moscow to participate the European market.

The top-three sources of EU pipeline state imports successful the archetypal fractional of the twelvemonth were Norway (55%), Algeria (19%) and Russia via Türkiye (10%), IEEFA said, adding that EU state pipeline imports from Azerbaijan, Libya and Norway decreased twelvemonth connected twelvemonth successful the archetypal fractional of the year, portion those from Algeria, Russia via Türkiye, Türkiye and the UK somewhat increased.

Overall, state pipeline imports from Russia decreased from implicit 150 cardinal cubic meters (bcm) successful 2021, anterior to Moscow’s warfare successful Ukraine, to little than 52bcm successful 2024, EU information reveals.

Dirty and dispensable US LNG?

EU imports of LNG volition further summation from overseas pursuing the EU-US commercialized woody wherever the bloc agreed to bargain $250bn of vigor — including LNG — per year.

During his caller attendance astatine the Gastech lawsuit successful Milan, US Energy Association President and CEO Mark Menezes regarded the EU’s imminent withdrawal from Russia arsenic a “massive opportunity” for Washington to measurement successful arsenic Europe’s astir reliable supplier of earthy gas.

“Massively expanding LNG imports to fulfill the woody [EU-US] is unachievable. Europe’s gas demand is declining, and the marketplace is improbable to sorb excess volumes,” said Ana Maria Jaller-Makarewicz, pb vigor analyst, at IEEFA.

Meanwhile, EU auditors person raised concerns successful narration to the bloc’s dependence connected imported LNG arsenic good arsenic the request to decarbonise immoderate of its state consumption, a informing to US state exporters who volition request to comply with EU laws requiring champion practices to minimize biology impacts, specified arsenic the methane regulation.

“Given the EU’s dependence connected overseas gas, it tin ne'er beryllium complacent astir its information of supply. And consumers bash not person immoderate affordability guarantees successful the lawsuit of a large aboriginal shortage,” Joāo Leāo, from the European Court of Auditors (ECA), told reporters back successful June.