The shipment was received at the Alexandroupolis floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) by Metlen, highlighting Greece’s growing role as a strategic gateway for gas supplies into the wider region.
This is the first time a US-origin LNG cargo has entered Southeast Europe via Alexandroupolis with Bulgaria as its final destination. The development underscores the importance of new infrastructure in diversifying both supply sources and transport routes at a time when energy security has become a central concern for governments across the region. Reducing reliance on single suppliers and strengthening resilience in gas markets remain key priorities, particularly for countries in the Balkans.
Metlen, Greece’s largest private consumer and trader of natural gas and one of the country’s leading LNG importers, has positioned itself at the heart of these cross-border energy flows. Through its activities, the company supports critical supply corridors linking Greece with Bulgaria, Romania and other Balkan markets. The latest delivery further reinforces Greece’s emergence as an entry point for LNG into Southeast Europe.
Commenting on the development, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Chief Executive Director for International Energy Supply and Trading at Metlen, described the arrival of the cargo as an important milestone for both the company and the region. He said the delivery of the first US LNG cargo through the Alexandroupolis FSRU for the Bulgarian market strengthens Metlen’s leadership position in LNG imports in Southeast Europe.
Kanellopoulos also pointed to the company’s long-standing presence in regional gas markets. Metlen has been supplying the Greek market since 2010 and, in 2018, became the first company to import LNG via the Revithoussa LNG Terminal and export it onward to Bulgaria, effectively opening a new energy corridor between the two countries. With the latest US-origin cargo, Metlen’s cooperation with Bulgargaz is further deepened, supporting energy security through reliable and competitive supply.
The partnership between Metlen and Bulgargaz is regarded as one of the most stable cross-border energy relationships in Southeast Europe. It began in 2018 with initial gas flows from Greece to Bulgaria and has since evolved into a strategic cooperation covering LNG, natural gas and broader energy services, drawing on the Greek company’s international footprint and technical expertise.
Today, Metlen supplies roughly 35% of total natural gas demand in Greece and Bulgaria and accounts for nearly half of Greece’s LNG imports through the Revithoussa terminal. Beyond the region, the company is active as an LNG and natural gas supplier across the Atlantic Basin, Northwestern Europe and the Mediterranean, steadily expanding its portfolio through new long-term and spot supply agreements.
