Argentina presents LNG export projects to European Commission as bloc faces winter supply shortage

Energy and Mining Secretary Daniel González and YPF CEO Horacio Marín will lead the Argentine delegation at the EU-Argentina strategic dialogue on energy security, energy transition and LNG at the European Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters. The session builds on a July 2023 energy memorandum of understanding between the parties. González will open alongside Céline Gauer, Director General for Energy and Housing at the European Commission, while Marín will present core details on LNG export projects and investment opportunities. Ambassador Fernando Iglesias will introduce Marín’s presentation.

The corporate roster includes Rodolfo Freyre, CEO of Southern Energy (SESA), the consortium comprising Pan American Energy at 30 percent, YPF at 25 percent, Pampa Energía at 20 percent, Harbour Energy at 15 percent and Norway’s Golar at 10 percent. Federico Petersen, commercial director of Golar LNG and SESA director, will also participate. German state-owned Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE) CEO Egbert Laege and ENI’s EU public affairs chief Lucia Odone round out the panel. SEFE previously secured a contract for 80 percent of SESA’s first liquefaction vessel capacity, covering two million tonnes annually over eight years beginning 2027. ENI partners with YPF on the Argentina LNG project alongside XRG, the international investment arm of UAE-based Adnoc.

Approximately 70 invitees confirmed attendance, spanning European Commission directorates for trade and energy, EU-Mercosur agreement negotiators, the European diplomatic service, commissioner cabinets and European Parliament members. Energy ministry technical staff from Lithuania, Hungary, Sweden, Germany and Spain received invitations, with Hungary’s state energy company traveling from Budapest. Central and Eastern European nations including Poland, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic and Hungary absorbed the largest impact from Russian gas cutoffs. The Inter-American Development Bank and European Investment Bank will attend despite the latter’s restrictions on hydrocarbon project financing.

The timing aligns with heightened EU vulnerability. Europe enters winter with gas storage substantially below historical averages, compounded by diesel supply constraints from destroyed Middle East refineries during the US-Iran conflict. Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen circulated a letter requesting member states evaluate conservation measures similar to 2022 protocols. In 2021, Russia supplied 45 percent of EU gas consumption; prices multiplied nearly tenfold following Ukraine’s invasion. From 2027, the bloc cannot import Russian gas, forcing continuous diversification as geopolitical crises constrain alternatives.