Albania is exploring plans to build an LNG terminal on its Adriatic coast. The proposed terminal would receive US liquefied natural gas (LNG) by ship. It would then store the LNG and convert it from a liquid into gas.
The gas could enter regional pipelines and reach countries across the Western Balkans and Southeastern Europe. It could also help supply Ukraine, according to the US-based National Law Review.
Infrastructure and Energy Minister Enea Karakaçi said the terminal could help the region meet higher energy demand. It could also provide an alternative in case of supply disruptions.
The project would create a new and more diversified energy supply route, Karakaçi said. Albania could also serve as a link between the Adriatic and regional energy markets.
Meanwhile, US company Argent LNG announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Albanian government. The agreement allows both sides to study the possibility of building a large LNG terminal on the Albanian coast.
The facility would store LNG and convert it into gas. The gas would then enter the regional pipeline network.
How would the terminal work?
The proposed terminal could process up to around 5 million tonnes of LNG per year. It would also include large storage facilities. LNG would arrive by ship and be stored at the terminal. The facility would then convert the LNG into gas before sending it into the pipeline network.
The gas could then move through the pipelines to regional markets. The project would not focus only on Albania’s domestic needs. Instead, it would provide an additional gas source for countries across the region.
This could prove particularly important during periods of high energy demand. It could also help when another source of supply is disrupted.
What role would Albania play?
Under the agreement, Albania would mainly serve as the host country for the terminal. It would also provide an entry point for gas into regional markets.
Therefore, Albania would provide the location and infrastructure. The gas could then move through pipelines to other countries in the Western Balkans and Southeastern Europe.
The announcement notes that Albania already generates most of its electricity from renewable sources.
As a result, the project would primarily take advantage of Albania’s strategic location on the Adriatic coast. It would also use existing and planned gas infrastructure.
How would the terminal connect to the region?
The terminal could connect to several major gas infrastructure projects, including:
- TAP, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, which crosses Albania;
- IAP, the planned Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline;
- the Fier-Vlora gas corridor.
These connections could allow LNG arriving on the Albanian coast to enter the regional gas network. The gas could then reach several countries across the region.
Another key objective is to provide gas from a source other than Russia. This would give regional markets an additional energy supply option.
How could the project help Ukraine?
The project could also create a route for US LNG to reach Ukraine. US gas could arrive in Albania and then move through the Balkan pipeline network. From there, it could support Ukraine’s energy needs.
Argent LNG
Argent LNG is developing a major LNG export terminal at Port Fourchon in Louisiana.
The company aims to make the proposed Albanian terminal part of a wider network for US LNG supplies to Europe.
Argent LNG previously signed a similar agreement with Ukraine’s Naftogaz Group in July 2026. It also signed an agreement with Romania’s Transgaz in August 2026.
Under the proposed scheme, Albania would serve as an entry point for US LNG into the Adriatic and the Western Balkan gas network. The project is also linked to the Three Seas Initiative, of which Albania is a member.
The parties aim to make the terminal one of the initiative’s key projects for regional energy security.
How would the project be financed?
The Albanian government and Argent LNG will establish a joint working group.
The group will assess the project’s feasibility. It will also identify a potential location for the terminal and determine how the facility could connect to regional pipelines.
In addition, the group will explore possible financing options.
Potential US financing institutions could include the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and the US Export-Import Bank (EXIM).
The project timeline will also depend on Argent LNG’s plans to ship its first LNG cargo from its Louisiana terminal in 2030.
Jonathan Bass of Argent LNG
Argent LNG CEO Jonathan Bass said Albania could play a broader role in Southeastern Europe. He said Albania could support not only its own energy needs but also the energy supply and security of neighboring countries.
Bass described the project as an opportunity to strengthen regional energy security and support Ukraine. He also said the project comes at a time when energy has increasingly become a tool of pressure against countries in the region.
/a.c/
The post Albania, US Company Argent LNG Sign Deal to Explore Adriatic Gas Terminal appeared first on RTSH.
