DTEK, through its trading company D.TRADING, has delivered its first cargo of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe using Lithuania’s Klaipeda terminal, the company announced.
After the LNG is re-gasified, it will be sent to Ukraine, the Baltic states, Poland and other Eastern European countries.
The shipment came from Plaquemines, Louisiana, aboard the Gaslog Houston. It carried 160,000 cubic meters of LNG – equal to about 100 million cubic meters of natural gas – and arrived on Nov. 17.
This is DTEK’s first LNG cargo bought on a Free on Board basis, meaning the company managed the ship and its journey from the US to Europe.
DTEK says Ukraine will need to import around 4 billion cubic meters of gas this winter after Russia damaged gas fields and storage sites in recent attacks.
The company is now working on bringing in more US LNG through both the Baltic route and the southern route from Greece through Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova.
“US LNG is vital for Ukraine and Europe,” DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko said. “This shipment shows our goal to connect US gas suppliers with a region that still relies too much on Russian gas. We are working with partners in Europe and the US to find affordable routes to deliver more gas to Ukraine and nearby countries.”
Fred H. Hutchison, head of LNG Allies, said the arrival of the cargo shows strong US support for Ukraine and Europe’s efforts to stop using Russian gas.
He said US producers are increasing deliveries to Central and Eastern Europe, with more cooperation expected on financing, infrastructure and long-term contracts.
Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas said Lithuania acted quickly after Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine’s energy system.
“The Klaipėda terminal is one of the busiest in Europe, but it also gives us a chance to help Ukraine,” he said. “We can support reliable gas supplies for Ukraine this winter.”
DTEK says it is helping the EU reach its goal of ending dependence on Russian gas by 2027. Last December, the company delivered another 100 million cubic meters of gas through Greece’s Revithoussa terminal.