Albania is considering the possibility of building a terminal on the coast, where American liquefied natural gas (LNG) will arrive by ship, be stored, turned into gas, and then sent via pipelines to the Balkans and Southeast European countries, with the possibility that some of it will also supply Ukraine, the American media “National Law Review” (NLR) reported.

Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Enea Karakaçi, said that the terminal would give the region more opportunities to cope with periods of high energy demand and possible supply disruptions.

According to him, the infrastructure would create a new and more diversified route for energy supply, while Albania could serve as a connecting point between the Adriatic and energy markets in the region, including the possibility of supporting Ukraine.

The American company “Argent LNG”, which is building a large terminal for the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of the Republic of Albania.

The agreement foresees that both parties will study and jointly evaluate the possibility of building a large terminal on the Albanian coast, where LNG will be stored and then converted from a liquid state to a gas, to be introduced into the gas pipeline network.

The proposed terminal will have the capacity to convert up to about 5 million tons of LNG into gas per year, and will also have large spaces for storing LNG.

The document defines Albania primarily as the host country of the terminal and as an entry point for gas to regional markets, and not as the main buyer of LNG.

This means that Albania would provide the territory and infrastructure for the terminal, while the gas could then continue to other countries in the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe.