Algeria contributed to compensating part of the decline in Qatari liquefied gas supplies to the European Union, after it increased its exports of liquefied gas via pipelines by about 1.1 billion cubic meters during the first 8 months of 2026, to come among 6 suppliers that increased their supplies to the European market during the same period..
And according to Data Monitored by the Energy Research Unit, European Union imports of Qatari liquefied gas declined by 5.1 billion cubic meters on an annual basis during the period from January to August 2026, and imports via pipelines passing through Turkey decreased by about 0.7 billion cubic meters.
The European Union compensated for some of these quantities by increasing its imports from other suppliers, led by Norway with an increase of 3.2 billion cubic metres, followed by the United States with about 1.8 billion cubic metres, then Russia with 1.5 billion cubic metres, Algeria with 1.1 billion cubic metres, the United Kingdom with one billion cubic metres, and Nigeria with about 500 million cubic metres.
Despite the decline in Qatari supplies, the volumes of European Union gas imports, whether liquefied or transported via pipelines, remained stable at about 200 billion cubic meters during the first 8 months of the year, with liquefied gas imports decreasing by 3.5% and pipelined imports increasing by 2.5%, according to data published on the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis website.
European Union imports of liquefied gas witnessed a gradual decline from April to July, before rising again in August, as the bloc’s countries sought to boost their stocks in preparation for the winter season.
In the case of Algeria, the increase included liquefied gas and supplies transported via pipelines, which strengthened its position among gas suppliers to the European market and helped fill part of the shortage resulting from the decline in Qatari supplies.
European Union imports from Norway also increased by about 3.2 billion cubic meters, distributed between gas transported through pipelines and liquefied gas. Norway is currently the largest exporter of natural gas via pipelines to the European Union, in addition to being the fifth largest exporter of liquefied gas to it.
The European Union’s imports from the United States increased by about 1.8 billion cubic meters, and the increase came in the form of liquefied gas, while American liquefied gas constituted about 60% of the Union’s total imports of liquefied gas during the first 8 months of 2026, with the percentage rising to 70% during August alone.
This coincided with a rise in European Union imports of liquefied gas by 43% on a monthly basis in August compared to July, as part of European countries’ efforts to fill storage facilities before winter arrives.
In contrast, European Union imports of Russian gas, liquefied and transported via pipelines, increased by about 1.5 billion cubic meters during the first 8 months of the year, despite the European Union beginning to implement a ban on immediate Russian liquefied gas imports on April 25, in preparation for a comprehensive ban on long-term flows starting in January 2027.
The Union also began implementing the ban on imports of Russian gas via short-term pipelines since January 17, with the comprehensive ban on long-term imports entering into force on September 30, 2027, or two months later at most.
The United Kingdom increased its gas exports to the European Union by about one billion cubic meters during the same period, and the entire quantity came through pipelines, while the Union’s imports from Nigeria increased by about 500 million cubic meters, all of which came in the form of liquefied gas.
The European Union currently relies on gas imports, whether liquefied or transported via pipelines, to cover about 85% of its total consumption, and this percentage is expected to rise to 98% by 2050 in the event that new investments in gas fields are not implemented and local production declines, according to Wood Mackenzie estimates.
The average demand for gas in the European Union reached about 335 billion cubic meters annually during the period from 2021 to 2025, while the share of liquefied gas in total gas imports increased from 20% to 45%, according to European Council estimates.
The rise in Algeria’s gas exports to the European Union reflects its growing role in supporting European energy security, especially in light of the bloc’s countries’ efforts to diversify sources of supplies and compensate for declining quantities from some suppliers.
