EU measures to reduce gas demand have driven a decline in the bloc's pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, according to new data by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) on Wednesday.
Countries in the EU cut their gas and LNG imports by 18% between 2021 and 2024, thanks to a 20% drop in gas consumption, according to IEEFA's EU Gas Flows Tracker.
EU LNG imports increased in the first quarter of this year despite the halt in Russian gas transit through Ukraine, the trucker showed. However, overall EU gas and LNG imports remained steady year-on-year and declined by 1% from the first quarter of 2023.
EU countries' reliance on gas pipeline imports and LNG shipments leaves them vulnerable to geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions, though the bloc mitigated this dependence by 'curbing gas consumption, diversifying import sources, shifting gas flows and installing more renewables,' Ana Maria Jaller-Makarewicz, an energy analyst at the IEEFA said.
'If the EU continues with policies to cut gas consumption, the bloc could satisfy demand without additional gas infrastructure or increased imports,' she added.
'Investing to accelerate renewable energy and heat pump installations will further boost the EU's energy security and reduce the impact of volatile gas prices on businesses and households,' she explained.
The data enhances IEEFA's European LNG Tracker by showing how EU countries' pipeline gas imports have changed since 2021 and how these shifts have influenced cross-border gas flows.
With the EU set to publish a roadmap on May 6 outlining its strategy to phase out Russian energy by 2027, the tracker underscores the bloc's continued reliance on Russian gas.
Last year, the EU's combined imports of Russian gas and LNG rose by 19.5%. Although transit through Ukraine ended in January, EU imports of Russian pipeline gas via Türkiye increased 16% year-on-year in the first quarter.
Nonetheless, the data shows how the EU has gradually progressed in reducing its dependence on Russian imports as the gas and LNG supply landscape has shifted.
In the first quarter of 2025, Norway supplied 30% of the EU's gas and LNG, followed by the US at 25%, Russia at 14% and Algeria at 13%.
By Murat Temizer and Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr