Ukraine welcomes first US LNG cargo

Ukraine’s DTEK Group has taken delivery of its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment from the United States which is expected to bolster the country’s energy security.

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, onboard the Gaslog Savannah. Working with Greek and other partners, the Ukranian player plans to regasify the LNG and send it through European Union and Ukrainian gas networks.

DTEK’s pan-European trading subsidiary D.Trading has purchased the entire cargo.  The firm expects this shipment to be the first of many from the United States and is looking to expand its LNG activities into northern Europe and the Baltics.

“The arrival of this LNG cargo is a clear signal of DTEK’s determination to play its part in strengthening Ukraine and Europe’s energy security. Cargoes like this are not only providing the region with a flexible and secure source of power, but are further eroding russia’s influence over our energy system. We are very grateful to the United States for the strategic contribution it is making to Europe’s energy security with such shipments,” said DTEK’s CEO, Maxim Timchenko.

This follows the heads of agreement (HOA) D.Trading signed with United States’ Venture Global in June. The deal entailed providing LNG from its Plaquemines and CP2 facilities to support near medium to long-term energy security needs for Ukraine and Eastern Europe and cooperating on opportunities to access regasification terminal and gas pipeline capacities.

As explained by the Ukrainian firm, the first cargo arrived via Greece due to war-related restrictions on LNG transits into the Black Sea and Ukraine directly. Regasification terminals such as Revithoussa are planned to be combined with cross-border pipelines such as the Vertical Corridor initiative, to transport gas throughout Europe.

This is said to form part of broader efforts to enhance Ukraine and Europe’s energy security by reducing reliance on Russian-supplied gas. It comes days before Ukraine ends an arrangement to transport Russian gas to the European Union via its territory.

Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG plant in Lousiana started producing in mid-December, 30 months after the final investment decision (FID) was reached. Less than two weeks later, the first cargo onboard LNG carrier Venture Global Bayou departed the terminal and headed to Germany’s EnBW.

Venture Global signed a binding multi-year terminal use agreement (TUA) with Greece’s Gastrade in September, to supply markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with LNG from its Louisiana facilities.