CEE, SEE rely more on LNG deliveries this year

Sendout from terminals in central eastern Europe (CEE) and southeast Europe (SEE) have risen on the year so far in 2026, increasing each month except July, keeping the US as the dominant supplier.

Sendout from LNG terminals in Croatia, Greece, Poland, Lithuania and Finland averaged 559 GWh/d in January-June, up from 480 GWh/d a year earlier, maintaining a 10pc year-on-year increase rate in the first half of the year. But sendout fell by 4pc on the year to 507 GWh/d in July from 528 GWh/d a year earlier.

Growing LNG import capacity has expanded regional opportunities for LNG deliveries, while long-term contracting has supported more stable utilisation rates than in northwest Europe (NWE), where spot LNG supplies account for a larger share of imports (see LNG sendout graph).

By contrast, sendout in most of NWE declined sharply in the period, led by France, which recorded the largest absolute and percentage drop, falling to 759 GWh/d in January-July from 996 GWh/d a year earlier. The Netherlands followed with a 9pc decline, while Italy and Spain have both posted annual decreases of 8pc so far this year.

The majority of balancing spot LNG supplies were delivered to Asia in March-July as open inter-basin arbitrage opportunities made the region the preferred destination for uncommitted US LNG cargoes over a number of months (see price graph).

Lithuania recorded the highest average year-on-year increase in LNG sendout in January-July of 29 GWh/d, followed by Greece with 27 GWh/d and Croatia with 12 GWh/d.

The US remained the main regional LNG supplier in January-July, although its share slipped to 75pc from 76pc in 2025. Qatari deliveries stopped in February because of disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict. These volumes were partly replaced by higher supplies from Norway, Algeria and other destinations. Norway's share increased to 16pc from 5pc, while Algeria's share rose to 6pc from 3pc a year earlier (see LNG supply structure).

Baltic region infrastructure matches regional demand and new market participants secured capacity this year. Planned lower costs and long-term capacity reservations indicate that terminals in the Baltic and Finland may enhance the use of Amber Grid facilities as supply routes for central Europe. By contrast, access to Poland's 8.3bn m³/yr Swinoujscie terminal is exclusively reserved by state-controlled Orlen, limiting market interest in this delivery route. Orlen also secured 1.25bn m³/yr regasification capacity at the planned floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) 2 in Gdansk by booking 12 cargo slots a year for 2030–39.

Croatia's 4.7mn t/yr Krk LNG terminal doubled its capacity in 2025, and long-term bookings confirm the region's continued need to replace pipeline gas with LNG.

Greece's 4.3mn t/yr Alexandroupolis LNG import terminal was off line in April-July, which partially limited regional supply options. Even so, the 4.9mn t/yr capacity at Revithoussa LNG has not been fully utilised so far this year. But this infrastructure may play a greater role soon, as strong demand for long-term capacity bookings along the route was seen during annual auctions.

Plans to expand LNG infrastructure in Poland, particularly at the Gdansk LNG terminal and proposals for a second FSRU in Greece suggest LNG deliveries will become more significant in the region.

By Victoria Dovgal

LNG sendout in SEE CEE GWh/d

LNG supply structure CEE SEE treminals Kt/d

Inter-basin arbitrage USD/mnBtu