Among the key themes were LNG’s strategic importance in Europe, shifting supply routes, infrastructure development, and price dynamics.

Speaking for the first time in Hungary, Lawrence Korb, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources and a representative of the Trump administration, outlined the United States’ ambitions in Europe’s gas sector.

“The United States will double LNG capacity by the end of the decade based solely on projects that have already reached FID and are already underway,” he said. Korb added that the United States aims to open new markets, ensure full market access, and help Europe realize its energy security goals.

He also highlighted key infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), such as the expansion of the Krk FSRU terminal, the southern interconnection between Bosnia and Croatia, and the Greece–North Macedonia interconnector, as strategic priorities.

Gergely Szabó, regional chairman of MET Central Europe, focused on pricing, suggesting that European industrial buyers should consider partially indexing to the Henry Hub. “Instead of crying, European industry must find a solution for high energy prices, and partial Henry Hub Indexation can be a part of the right answer,” he said.

Panelists emphasized LNG’s value as a form of insurance—vital during crises, even if underused in normal times. Finland was cited as a best practice: the country launched a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in just seven months, helping to avoid major losses during January’s “Dunkelflaute,” a period of low renewable output.

Gábor Orbán, CEO of MVM CEEnergy, acknowledged the challenges of integrating LNG into the region’s supply mix. “Molecules can be competitive but not with pipeline gas because of higher transport cost, so it is difficult to increase the share of LNG in the supply mix. However, if these landlocked countries can act together by buying LNG, they can optimise the costs.”

Eszter Szekeres, CEO of MET Hungary, also pointed to the EU’s opportunity to strengthen storage using discounted LNG: “The EU now has a unique chance to use LNG to store up, and the fact that we have high discounts in a lower price environment can solve the storage problem.”

Jefferson Edwards, VP of Shell Energy, noted a growing demand for LNG in transportation and emerging markets: “We are talking a lot about coal phase-out, but not too much about the oil and gas competition. The number of LNG-fuelled heavy-duty trucks is increasing rapidly, which brings new demand for the market. On the other hand, 180 million new customers will be connected to the gas grids by 2030 in China and India.” He added that Shell sees a significant gap between policy ambition and actual investment.

In the CEE region, gas flows have reversed direction, prompting infrastructure upgrades. Szabolcs I Ferencz, CEO of FGSZ, Hungary’s gas TSO, said “Capacity on the Hungarian-Slovakian border was increased step by step, and it will reach 4.4 bcm annually to the Slovakian direction.” 

He noted that while capacity from Romania could rise by 10% with minimal changes, larger upgrades will require substantial investment. Bulgaria is also increasing capacity, with inbound volumes from Greece set to rise 50% to 8 bcm and exit capacity to Romania doubling to 11 bcm.

While speakers avoided predicting future prices, they agreed that access to new sources could relieve pressure. However, Dániel Garai, CEO of CEEGEX, noted that geopolitical risks still loom large: “Hungarian prices were below Austria and also TTF for years, but some attacks on the infrastructure can impact the Ukrainian demand which can influence the Hungarian prices more than the prices on the TTF.”

Energy leaders will continue the conversation on Europe’s transition at the 4th Budapest Hydrogen Summit, where the focus will shift to hydrogen’s role in the continent’s future energy mix.