U.S. LNG Gains Ground in Greece as Re-Exports Rise

Key Moments

Greece Deepens Role as Regional Gas Hub

The United States remained the dominant supplier of liquefied natural gas to Greece in the first half of 2026, according to data from DESFA, Greece’s National Gas System Operator. U.S. LNG deliveries totaled 12.67 terawatt-hours and represented about 70% of the LNG volumes that arrived through the country’s main import terminal.

Across all sources, Greece imported 43.07 terawatt-hours of natural gas during the period. U.S. shipments therefore made up nearly one-third of total gas imports.

DESFA reported that total gas demand reached 43.09 terawatt-hours, a 15.06% increase from 37.45 terawatt-hours in the same period a year earlier. The figures reflect Greece’s efforts to position itself as an energy hub for southeastern Europe and as a supply gateway to the Balkans and eastern Europe.

Exports Triple on Rising Transit Volumes

The most striking indicator of Greece’s expanding regional role was the sharp rise in exports. Outflows climbed to 8.72 terawatt-hours from 2.86 terawatt-hours a year earlier, a threefold increase. DESFA said this gain confirms Greece’s growing importance as a transit corridor for gas flows heading north.

The country’s position was further reinforced following capacity auctions held on July 6 for the Vertical Corridor, an infrastructure route intended to move gas from Greece toward the Balkans, eastern Europe and central Europe.

Import Infrastructure and Entry Points

Total gas imports reached 43.07 terawatt-hours in the first half of 2026, a 14.76% rise compared with the first half of 2025. The Revithoussa LNG terminal, located on an islet at Agia Triada off the coast near Athens, served as the primary gateway, handling 43% of all gas imports. Volumes through Revithoussa increased 27.12% year over year to 18.61 terawatt-hours.

The Sidirokastro entry point in northern Greece was the second-largest access route, with 15.47 terawatt-hours, followed by Nea Mesimvria at 5.53 terawatt-hours. The Alexandroupolis floating storage and regasification unit, known as Amfitriti, delivered 3.46 terawatt-hours, more than three times its volume from a year earlier.

LNG Supply Mix and Cargo Dynamics

Within LNG flows to Greece, the United States was the leading supplier with 12.67 terawatt-hours. Nigeria followed with 4.16 terawatt-hours. Smaller quantities originated from Egypt at 0.51 terawatt-hours, Algeria at 0.49 terawatt-hours and Mauritania at 0.35 terawatt-hours.

In total, Greece received 24 LNG cargoes carrying 18.18 terawatt-hours, compared with 27 cargoes totaling 14.66 terawatt-hours in the corresponding period a year earlier. This indicates that fewer individual shipments delivered a higher aggregate volume of gas.

Stable Domestic Consumption Patterns

Domestic gas use in Greece was effectively unchanged. Consumption totaled 34.37 terawatt-hours, a slight decrease of 0.64% from 34.59 terawatt-hours a year earlier.

Power generation remained the largest consumer segment at 65% of total domestic use, with gas-fired plants accounting for 22.41 terawatt-hours, down from 23.25 terawatt-hours. Distribution networks consumed 8.08 terawatt-hours, or 24% of total domestic demand. Industrial users and compressed natural gas accounted for 3.88 terawatt-hours, representing 11% of consumption.

Rapid Growth in Small-scale LNG

Small-scale LNG logistics expanded significantly. DESFA’s truck loading service handled 537 trucks in the first half of 2026, up from 273 in the same period of 2025. The associated volume reached 24,641 cubic meters, roughly double the 12,284 cubic meters recorded a year earlier. DESFA indicated that this growth highlights a rapidly developing market for small-scale LNG distribution.