Europe’s Dependence on US LNG to Hit 80% by 2028, Warns IEEFA Report
IEEFA Report Highlights Growing US LNG Reliance in Europe
By Kate Abnett
Rising US LNG Imports and Market Share
BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) - European countries are forecast to import 80% of their liquefied natural gas supplies from the U.S. by 2028, posing risks from heavy reliance on a single fuel supplier, researchers at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said in a report released on Wednesday.
- The U.S. is already on track to become Europe's biggest gas supplier this year, based on total LNG and pipeline imports, the non-profit IEEFA said
- Europe is expected to source two-thirds of its LNG from the U.S. in 2026
- The EU imported 58% of its LNG from the U.S. last year
- U.S. gas purchases are rising as the EU phases out Russian gas
Concerns Over Energy Security and Supplier Dependence
- Some EU officials raised concerns earlier this year of rising dependence on U.S. energy, after President Donald Trump's push to take over Greenland
- IEEFA warned that hiking U.S. imports risks Europe creating a "new energy dependence" on a single supplier
- EU facing high oil and gas prices triggered by Iran war, due to its heavy reliance on imported fuels
Recommendations and Future Outlook
- IEEFA recommended EU invest in renewable energy, heat pumps to reduce exposure to volatile global fuel markets
- Europe's U.S. LNG imports more than tripled from 2021 to 2025
Russian LNG and Policy Developments
- EU imports of Russian LNG increased 16% in Jan-Mar of 2026, compared with the same period in 2025
- EU banned short-term Russian LNG contracts in April, with full ban on Russian LNG imports scheduled for January 2027 and ban on Russian pipeline gas set for September 2027.
(Reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
