The construction of the 26 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal projects announced in Europe since the start of the war in Ukraine would more than double the continent’s import capacity, the NGO Global Energy Monitor said in a report published on Friday 16 December.
In order to ensure the security of Europe’s energy supply after Russia’s announced interruptions to gas deliveries, new facilities with a combined capacity of 195 billion cubic metres of gas per year are planned to come on stream between 2022 and 2026 in 10 European countries (Germany, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Estonia, Latvia, the United Kingdom, France and Croatia), the document says. Installed capacity before the Russian invasion of Ukraine was 164 bcm.
In the long term, Global Energy Monitor is concerned that the emergence of so many gas installations will lock Europe into gas, to the detriment of the climate.
“When (gas) supply tightness eases in 2026, this excessive capacity infrastructure would need to be used to avoid becoming stranded assets, but by doing so Europe’s climate goals will be put in jeopardy”, said Greig Aitken, the report’s author.
See the report: https://aeur.eu/f/4pu (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)