Towards 3000 TWh/year of imported energy:

LNG terminals offer solutions for massive diversification of supply roads

the new Large-Scale LNG map says

Brussels, 25 April 2022

The current crisis recalls how crucial fostering a secure and resilient energy system is to protect EU citizens and economies. Diversifying roads and sources of supply is essential: this is where LNG terminals come in. According to GIE’s new Large Scale LNG map and database, they could enable Europe to import 3000 TWh of liquified energy.

The association of the gas infrastructure operators of Europe (GIE) published its new 2022 map and database of the Large-scale LNG facilities. Well-recognised in the energy sector, those transparency tools offer a good overview of the reality in the field with updated facts and figures. The 2022 edition underlines that LNG terminals could be the entry door for over 3000 TWh of imported energy per year.

LNG terminals: Open door to massive volumes of low carbon & renewable energy

LNG and its infrastructures are crucial to enhancing the security of supply in Europe. It offers solutions to diversify the sources and routes of supply. Besides, it enables the EU to access gas resources at a global level and thus reduces the dependence on a limited number of suppliers. Currently transporting natural gas, LNG infrastructure could accommodate BioLNG with almost no additional investments.

LNG Terminals in EU27

• 21 operational large-scale terminals, including onshore and offshore
• Current importing capacity of ~1920 TWh per year
• 200 TWh/year additional capacity under construction
• Another ~1200 TWh/year capacity to be built by 2030

Import capacity in EU27

• The 16 onshore large-scale terminals cover most of the import capacity (~1700 TWh/year) while the 5 Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) and other offshore types stand for the rest of ~220 TWh/year

LNG facilities for a resilient energy supply system:

“LNG terminals play an essential role in firming up the security of gas supply to Europe: they offer access to the global gas market, hence offering options to widely diversify the sources and routes of supply. By 2030, they can provide imports of over 3000 TWh per year, as such covering the estimated EU gas imports demand. To make these volumes available to all members states, gas infrastructure operators will enhance market interconnections, storage use, grid interoperability and route flexibility.” Arno Büx, GLE President

A tool to monitor the security of supply in Europe:

GIE Transparency tools provide an enhanced vision of the crucial for experts to monitor the energy market evolution. It supports decision-makers and analysts in their work by bringing figures on the reality on the ground. GIE https://agsi.gie.eu/%23/">AGSI+ and https://alsi.gie.eu/%23/">ALSI Transparency Platforms are proving to be reliable and well-recognised information sources offering daily reporting by storage and LNG facilities operators. A good example is the increased web traffic currently witnessed on GIE Transparency Platforms: we speak about 297% augmentation over the last 180 days.

Close up on GIE’s transparency activities:

For more than 15 years, GIE has worked and innovated to offer the most reliable, efficient, and user-friendly transparency instruments. Further platform upgrades that provide additional data visualisation and export options are expected. GIE transparency services are further completed by the implementation of standardised transparency templates by www.gie.eu/transparency/gse-transparency-template/">https://www.gie.eu/transparency/gse-transparency-template/">storage system and www.gie.eu/transparency/gle-transparency-template/">https://www.gie.eu/transparency/gle-transparency-template/">LNG system operators, maps publication (LNG, storage, biogas, etc.) and their associated www.gie.eu/transparency/databases/">https://www.gie.eu/transparency/databases/">databases, and specific database content such as the GLE Services Inventory and LNG List of Services.