LNG drives freight charges higher

Τhe US role in Europe’s energy supply remains decisive, as in December 2025, it absorbed approximately 12.2 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 76% of total US exports for the month.

At the same time, Greece is rapidly developing into an energy hub in Southeastern Europe, taking advantage of its geographical location and investing in LNG infrastructure, pipelines and interconnections.

At the core of this role are the LNG terminals – with Revithoussa as the main hub and the new FSRU in Alexandroupolis – as well as the so-called vertical energy axis, through which natural gas is channeled from Greece to Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and the wider Balkans.

Freight trends

At the same time, the LNG carrier freight market is showing geographical divergence, with pressures in Asia and a strong increase in freight rates in the Atlantic, as European demand for US LNG increases.

Europe, together with Turkey, absorbed the majority of LNG cargoes, while developments confirm the central role of US LNG in Europe’s energy security.

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According to the latest freight market data from the Norwegian shipping brokerage Fearnleys for modern MEGI/XDF type vessels, with a capacity of 170,000-180,000 cubic meters of LNG, using dual fuel engines, daily freight rates East of Suez were set at 27,000 dollars in the spot market, recording a drop of 2,000 dollars compared to the previous measurement.

On the contrary, West of Suez freight rates strengthened significantly, reaching 35,000 dollars per day, with an increase of 13,000 dollars, a development attributed to the increased demand for LNG transport to Europe.

In 1 Year Time Charter contracts, prices remain stable at 39,000 per day, suggesting that, despite the volatility of the spot market, charterers are still “locking in” capacity in the medium term, looking forward to a gradual market rebalancing in 2026.