On July 31, AFP reported that the US is expanding its role in the European gas market in the context that the European Union (EU) continues to implement a plan to end gas imports from Russia before the end of 2027. In this roadmap, Croatia is considered one of the important transit points thanks to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving system in the Adriatic Sea.
After the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in 2022, the EU gradually cut gas imports from Russia. According to European Council figures, supplies from Russia currently account for only about 12% of the bloc's total gas imports, a sharp decrease compared to before.
To replace this supply, the EU has invested billions of euros in building LNG receiving ports and expanding the gas pipeline network. According to AFP, these investments help Europe increase its ability to receive LNG from many countries, in which the US is emerging as the largest supplier.
One of the notable projects is the floating LNG receiving station off the coast of Krk Island in Croatia. After being upgraded, this facility has a capacity of about 6.1 billion m3 of gas per year, equivalent to nearly 2% of the annual gas consumption demand of the entire EU. From here, gas is transported through a pipeline system connecting with Hungary and many countries in Central Europe.
According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), the US is currently the largest LNG supplier to the EU and is forecast to surpass Norway to become the bloc's largest natural gas supplier in 2026.
Talking to AFP, energy expert Ivan Brodic said that the US is promoting projects to connect gas infrastructure in the Balkan region, including the pipeline connecting Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia. If completed, this pipeline will connect Bosnia with the Krk LNG port and the European gas network.
According to AFP, some studies also show that the transit route through Croatia could become a low-cost option to supply gas to Ukraine. Ukraine currently owns one of the largest underground gas storage systems in Europe, allowing large amounts of imported gas to be stored before being used domestically or distributed to other markets.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic discussed cooperation in the field of gas supply and storage, but no official announcement has been made.
However, General Director of Croatian LNG Company Ivan Fugas said that to meet new demand, Croatia will have to continue to expand the capacity of connecting pipelines. Upgrading transmission infrastructure is a necessary condition if the country wants to become a large-scale gas transit point for Central Europe and Ukraine.
