EU Eyes Balkan Gas Dominance through US-LNG Hub
The European Union is working to reduce its reliance on Russian energy after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As part of this effort, the EU has invested billions of euros in infrastructure to handle liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, making it the largest importer in the world by the end of 2027.
Croatia's floating LNG terminal off the island of Krk is a key site in this plan. After an upgrade, it can now handle nearly 6.1 billion cubic meters of gas per year, which is around two percent of the EU's annual consumption. Connecting pipelines link it to Hungary, allowing US gas to flow into central Europe.
The terminal's largest supplier, the United States, is forecasted to overtake Norway as the bloc's largest natural gas supplier in 2026, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Energy analyst Ivan Brodic noted that Americans do not want Russian capital in the energy sector in this region anymore.
The US-backed pipeline between Bosnia and Croatia plans to link Bosnia to Krk and loop it into Europe's gas network. This could even offer the cheapest gas for a post-war Ukraine. The Trump Peace Pipelines Framework, promoted by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, aims to expand energy infrastructure across central and eastern Europe.