Ukraine Boosts Energy Security with First LNG Shipment from the United States

Ukraine’s DTEK Group has taken delivery of its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment from the United States, marking a significant step towards bolstering the country’s energy security.

The shipment, totaling approximately 100 million cubic meters of gas or 1 Terawatt hour (TWh) of energy, arrived at the DESFA-operated Revithoussa LNG terminal in Greece on December 27, 2024, aboard the Gaslog Savannah. D.Trading, DTEK’s pan-European trading subsidiary, purchased the entire cargo with plans to regasify the LNG and distribute it through European Union and Ukrainian gas networks.

DTEK’s CEO, Maxim Timchenko, expressed gratitude towards the United States for its strategic contribution to Europe’s energy security through such shipments, further diminishing Russia’s influence over the region’s energy system.

This milestone follows a heads of agreement (HOA) between D.Trading and Venture Global in June, aiming to provide LNG from Venture Global’s facilities in Plaquemines and CP2 to support energy security needs in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

Due to war-related restrictions on LNG transits into the Black Sea and Ukraine, the first cargo arrived via Greece. The integration of regasification terminals like Revithoussa with cross-border pipelines such as the Vertical Corridor initiative is set to enhance gas transportation across Europe.

This initiative aligns with broader efforts to reduce reliance on Russian gas and enhance energy security in Ukraine and Europe. It comes as Ukraine prepares to end an arrangement for transporting Russian gas to the European Union through its territory.

Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG plant in Louisiana commenced production in mid-December, with the first cargo departing for Germany’s EnBW shortly after. A binding multi-year terminal use agreement (TUA) between Venture Global and Greece’s Gastrade further solidifies plans to supply LNG from Louisiana to markets in Central and Eastern Europe.