EU renewable expansion could cut LNG imports by two‑thirds by 2024

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) estimates that heat pumps, solar and wind installations replaced 8.8 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the EU in 2024 – roughly two‑thirds of the bloc’s imports from Qatar that year. Between 2022 and 2024 the EU added about 7.6 million heat pumps, led by France (≈2 million), Italy (≈1.5 million) and Germany (≈1 million). The same period saw the commissioning of 146 GW of new photovoltaic capacity and more than 43 GW of wind power, largely in Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy, France and the Netherlands.

IEEFA warns that while the EU has reduced reliance on Russian pipeline gas since the war in Ukraine, its LNG imports from the United States and Qatar have risen sharply, creating new geopolitical vulnerabilities. If the EU meets its current expansion targets – at least four million heat pumps per year, plus 75 GW of solar and 22 GW of wind by 2030 – gas demand could fall by about 25 percent, effectively halving projected LNG imports. The report recommends accelerating renewable‑energy and heat‑pump deployment to achieve long‑term energy sovereignty.