DESFA announces natural gas consumption for January

Total natural gas demand in Greece increased by 12.72% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 63.53 TWh compared to 56.36 TWh in the corresponding period of 2025. The decisive factor of the increase was the significant increase in exports, which increased by 168.77% y/y, reaching 13.60 TWh compared to 5.06 TWh in the corresponding period last year. This development confirms Greece’s increasingly strong role as a strategic energy hub and natural gas supply gateway for Southeastern Europe.

In the same period, domestic consumption stood at 49.93 TWh, recording a slight decrease of 2.67% compared to the first nine months of 2025 (51.30 TWh), with changes in the demand structure, including a decrease in electricity production and industry/CNG and an increase in consumption through distribution networks.

Total natural gas imports reached 63.57 TWh in the first nine months of 2026, marking a 12.61% increase compared to the same period in 2025. The Sidirokastro Entry Point and the Revithoussa LNG terminal remained the two main gateways for natural gas imports into Greece. Imports through Sidirokastro remained broadly stable at 25.51 TWh, compared to 25.46 TWh in the corresponding period of 2025. Meanwhile, the Revithoussa LNG terminal (Agia Triada) recorded an 11.58% increase, reaching 24.28 TWh, further underscoring its strategic role in ensuring access to diversified gas supplies. Imports through the Alexandroupolis FSRU (Amfitriti) also increased significantly, reaching 5.82 TWh, more than five times the 1.03 TWh recorded during the same period last year. Together, Revithoussa and Alexandroupolis accounted for 30.10 TWh of natural gas imports, while Nea Messimvria contributed 7.96 TWh.

The distribution of domestic consumption shows small changes in the use of natural gas:

• Consumption for electricity generation stood at 34.92 TWh (from 36.45 TWh in 2025), corresponding to 70% of total consumption.

• Distribution networks recorded an increase to 9.98 TWh (from 9.42 TWh), corresponding to 20% of total consumption.

• Consumption in industry and CNG decreased to 5.03 TWh (from 5.43 TWh), a percentage of 10% of total consumption.

The US remained the main supplier of LNG, with 17.88 TWh, covering about 74% of the total LNG volumes imported via Revithoussa, followed by Nigeria with 4.16 TWh (approximately 17.2%). Additional volumes came from Congo (0.86 TWh), Egypt (0.51 TWh), Algeria (0.49 TWh), and Mauritania (0.35 TWh). A total of 32 LNG cargoes were unloaded, carrying a quantity of 24.25 TWh, compared to 36 cargoes with a quantity of 22.41 TWh in the first nine months of 2025. The increase in imported LNG volumes, despite the lower number of cargoes, reflects the arrival of larger vessels carrying higher volumes per cargo.

The LNG truck loading service remains particularly strengthened, with a total of 801 LNG trucks loaded in the first nine months of 2026, compared to 494 in the corresponding period of 2025. The total volume handled amounted to 36 554.16 m3 of LNG, compared to 22 182 m³ in the first nine months of 2025, while the traded equivalent energy amounted to 243 613.74 MWh (approximately 0.24 TWh), from 148 049.17 MWh (around 0.15 TWh) in the corresponding period of the previous year, recording an increase of approximately 65%. This development confirms the dynamic growth of the small scale LNG market in Greece and the increasing utilisation of the LNG truck loading service.