Albania Signs LNG Terminal MoU With Argent as Washington Backs TAP for U.S. Gas Route
A non-binding deal for a 5-MMtpa Albanian regasification terminal is paired with U.S. diplomatic support for TAP, but both the export and import infrastructure remain unbuilt.
Argent LNG and the Albanian government signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding on September 9 (2026-09-09) to evaluate an onshore LNG storage and regasification terminal on the Albanian coast with capacity of up to 5 million metric tons per year. The agreement binds neither party to construction costs, timelines, or volumes.4
The day after, U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle wrote on X that the Trans Adriatic Pipeline could expand its role to deliver American LNG through Greece to Southeast Europe in the future. The post appeared on September 10 (2026-09-10). It was a public endorsement of a specific infrastructure route — unusual for an ambassador — and positioned U.S. LNG exports as a durable supply option for a region reorienting its gas architecture away from Russian supply.5
TAP runs from the Greek-Turkish border through northern Albania before crossing the Adriatic to southern Italy. An Albanian terminal would sit directly on the pipeline's path, making the geography attractive on paper. But whether gas injected into a coastal Albanian terminal could flow eastward back through TAP toward Southeast European markets would depend on pipeline configuration and compression capacity, neither of which is addressed in either announcement.5,4
Argent LNG is not a small-scale developer. Its proposed Lafourche Parish export terminal in Louisiana is designed to ship up to 25 million metric tons per year. The company signed an agreement in July 2026 (2026-07-22) to explore supplying LNG to Ukraine's Naftogaz Group, adding another potential European counterparty before the Albania MoU was signed. Neither deal binds a cargo.3
Naftogaz has been building European receiving capacity regardless of Argent LNG's timeline. In June 2026 (2026-06-12), the Ukrainian state company secured 12-year regasification rights at the Klaipeda LNG terminal in Lithuania. Terminal operator AB KN Energies allocated more than 20 terawatt-hours of annual capacity from the 28 TWh offered — 8 TWh running until 2044 and a further 12 TWh until 2040. Naftogaz and Polish refiner Orlen signed separate MoUs on LNG sourcing for Ukraine later in June 2026 (2026-06-26).1,2
Regional energy prices frame the Southeast European context. Romanian power day-ahead prices were at €213.60/MWh on September 15 (2026-09-15), among the highest benchmarks in the live European data on that date. ICE Endex TTF front-month gas settled at €82.95/MWh on September 15 (2026-09-15). Southeast European power markets remain tight and seasonally exposed. More gas supply options — including eventual pipeline gas from an Albanian terminal — would alter the medium-term supply picture for regional generators. The infrastructure to deliver those volumes does not yet exist.4,5
NYMEX Henry Hub front-month gas was priced at $2.89/MMBtu on September 15 (2026-09-15), giving U.S. liquefaction projects a competitive feedstock position. That advantage narrows sharply once liquefaction fees, Atlantic shipping, regasification tolls, and onward pipeline transmission are added for a multi-hop route to Southeast Europe. Argent LNG has not published the landed economics for this corridor, and no disclosed counterparty has named a binding price formula.4,3
Washington's visible push — an ambassador publicly calling for TAP's expanded role one day after a U.S. LNG developer signed with Albania — shows how far American LNG exports have moved into the mainstream of U.S. diplomatic activity in Europe. But diplomatic visibility does not fund construction. Argent LNG has accumulated a portfolio of exploratory agreements across Ukraine, Albania, and potentially other European destinations. The most concrete next step would be a long-term sale-and-purchase agreement with committed volumes from any of these counterparties — the contract type that project lenders require before committing capital.4,53