France is the main recipient of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia in Europe, according to Gospodarka Morska, citing data from the IEEFA think tank. According to the data, Russian LNG imports to France increased by 81% in 2023-2024, amounting to €2.68 billion.
France has a well-developed port infrastructure that allows for the reception of liquefied natural gas, which is then regasified for further transport via pipelines, explained IEEFA analyst Ana Maria Jaller-Makarewicz.
"It is unclear where exactly the LNG is going, but it is possible that it is being exported to Germany," which, until 2022, did not have any LNG reception terminals, Jaller-Makarewicz said. She added that Germany imports half as much of this resource as France.
Last year, the terminal in Dunkirk received 27% of Russia's LNG imports. AFP noted that 85% of LNG imports to Europe pass through ports in France, Spain, and Belgium.
In response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, EU countries switched to importing LNG to reduce dependency on pipeline gas from Russia. However, a significant portion of this LNG still comes from Russia, making it increasingly difficult to meet the European Commission's goal of phasing out Russian gas by 2027.
The agency also pointed out that the industry is preparing for an increase in LNG imports, with new terminals being built in several EU countries, including Germany, to receive this resource.
