Germany Records Highest Level of LNG Imports Since 2022
October 12, 202597 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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The German gas network agency announced that LNG imports by sea vessels reached their highest level since the opening of LNG reception terminals in 2022, reflecting significant changes in the German energy market.
Record Rise in the Third Quarter of 2025
Data from the agency showed that the third quarter of 2025 witnessed the largest injection of LNG since the operation of the first German terminal in the coastal city of Wilhelmshaven at the end of 2022. The figures indicate that the amount of gas injected into LNG terminals during the first nine months of this year exceeded the total injected in 2023 and 2024 each separately.
Share of LNG in Germany's Total Imports
This increase led to a rise in the share of LNG from Germany's total gas imports. In the first half of 2025, the share was about 8% as in the previous year, but it rose in the third quarter to 13.5%, making the average share during the first nine months about 10.9%.
The agency clarified that the amount of LNG imported from January to the end of September 2025 was approximately 74 terawatt-hours, of which about 35 terawatt-hours was in the third quarter alone. In comparison, the total LNG imports in 2024 were about 69 terawatt-hours, and in 2023 about 70 terawatt-hours.
Reasons for the Increase in Imports
Gas expert Sebastian Golbis from the consulting company "Enervis" believes that this increase is due to several factors:
1. Increased reception capacities: The entry of the specialized vessel "Excelsior" into commercial service in August 2025, becoming the second floating LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven.
2. End of Russian gas transport contracts: With the expiration of gas transport contracts from Russia to Austria in January 2025, Germany has now become a major transit point for countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia, and partially Slovenia.
Golbis added that these factors reflected on the total amount of natural gas imported to Germany, which was much higher in 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year.
