The Albanian government and U.S.-based Argent LNG signed a non-binding memorandum this week to examine an onshore storage and regasification terminal. The facility is intended from the outset to function as regional infrastructure, rather than only an Albanian supply asset. The memorandum covers work needed to define the project and its integration with regional systems.
Terminal concept and potential pipeline links
The proposed terminal concept includes possible connections with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, the planned Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline, and the Fier-Vlorë gas corridor. If implemented, LNG delivered to Albania could be moved north toward Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. It could also be routed east toward North Macedonia and other Balkan markets, or into wider European gas networks.
At full utilisation, the terminal’s planned throughput of 5 million tonnes per year of LNG would equate to roughly 6.5-7 billion cubic metres of gas annually. That volume is described as far above Albania’s prospective domestic demand. The scale is therefore positioned within the memorandum as inherently regional in character.
Regional LNG entry points after the 2022 crisis
Southeast Europe’s gas map has shifted rapidly since the 2022 energy crisis. Greece has become the dominant southern LNG entry point through Revithoussa and new floating import infrastructure. Bulgaria and Romania have also increased their roles as transit markets for gas moving north.
An Albanian LNG terminal would add a second major Adriatic route for regional buyers. That development could strengthen competition between entry points across the Western Balkans. For Albania, the infrastructure is linked in the memorandum to planned gasification, thermal generation, and industrial demand, alongside improved economics for connecting to neighbouring systems.
Interconnection requirements and timing for capacity use
For the wider Balkans, a key question identified in the memorandum is whether another LNG terminal would improve competition between import routes or instead add capacity competing for globally priced LNG cargoes. The experience cited around Greece indicates that physical diversification does not automatically translate into cheaper gas. New terminals and interconnectors are described as improving supply security by reducing dependence on individual pipelines or suppliers.
LNG prices are still stated as remaining linked to global demand, shipping costs, and European hub prices. The timing of the Albanian project is therefore described as material to its ability to secure utilisation. Argent is targeting first LNG exports from its planned Louisiana facilities around 2030, which would give partners several years for feasibility, permitting, financing, and interconnection work.
Progress on the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline is identified as a determining factor for how the Albanian terminal could operate at scale. Without sufficient cross-border infrastructure and long-term buyers, a large Albanian terminal could face difficulty justifying its planned capacity. The commercial test described is whether regional buyers can access Albanian LNG more cheaply and flexibly than supplies entering through Greece and Bulgaria.
