A historic high was recorded in gas consumption in the first five months of 2025 (29.06 TWh), mainly due to its use for electricity generation (65% of total gas consumption). In May 2025, domestic consumption reached 4.27 TWh, representing an 8.9% increase from April 2025. However, this marked the second consecutive month of decrease compared to May 2024. Despite the recent announcement of the EU’s plan for full decoupling from Russian fossil fuels, the trend of Russian gas imports in Greece is upwards.
Consumption
May
According to the latest available data from DESFA, the total domestic consumption in May 2025 was 4.27 TWh, up 8.9% compared to April.
Compared to May 2024, gas consumption decreased by 12.7% (-0.46 TWh). However, for the second consecutive month, gas consumption was lower than in the previous year. The largest percentage decrease occurred in the industrial sector, where demand fell by 43.4% (-0.33 TWh) compared to May 2024. This marks the fifth consecutive month that the industry has experienced a decline in monthly gas consumption compared to 2024.
Gas demand for electricity generation increased this month compared to April 2025 by 31% (+0.74 TWh); however, compared to May last year, it fell by 12.7% (-0.46 TWh). In contrast, gas use in grids increased compared to May 2024 by 15.8% (+0.092 TWh).
First five months of the year
Cumulatively in the first five months of 2025, total gas consumption reached 29.06 TWh, an increase of 14.5% (+3.68 TWh) compared to the same period in 2024 – marking the highest five-month consumption on record[1].
Gas consumption for power generation reached a decade high of 18.91 TWh, up 23.1% from the same period in 2024. Similarly, demand for gas networks increased by 19.4% (+1.15 TWh), totaling 7.1 TWh over the same timeframe and marking a three‑year peak.
In terms of the breakdown of consumption by use, electricity covered 65.1% (18.92 TWh), while gas grids followed with 24.4% (7.1 TWh). Industry came in last with just 10.5% of total domestic gas consumption (19.4 TWh).
Imports
May
Total imports this month reached 4.31 TWh, marking an increase of 9.7% (+0.38 TWh) compared to April. Exports from the IGB (Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria) exiting at Komotini and Sidirokastro were zero.
Regarding entry points, the trend from April continued, with gas imports via pipelines exceeding LNG imports. In May, Sidirokastro gate dominated gas imports with 2.36 TWh. Agia Triada gate followed with LNG imports of 1 TWh, and Nea Mesimvria gate was third with 0.95 TWh.
Imports from Amfitriti[2] gate were zero due to the technical problem that the plant has been experiencing since late January[3].
Imports from the fifth entry gate at Kipoi were also zero (as since January 2024).
First five months of the year
As for the first five months of 2025, total fossil gas imports were 29.28 TWh, up 7% compared to the same period in 2024.
Leading in import flows was LNG from Agia Triada and Amfitriti gates with a 44.1% share (12.92 TWh). LNG imports in the first five months increased by 56.7% (+4.68 TWh) compared to the same period last year.
Russian gas imports from Sidirokastro gate follow marginally behind LNG with 40.3% (11.81 TWh), while Azeri gas via the TAP pipeline from the gate of Nea Mesimvria comes last with 15.5% (4.55 TWh). Russian and Azeri gas imports via Turkstream and TAP pipelines have decreased compared to the same period in 2024, by 5.5% (-0.68 TWh) and by 3.7% (-0.17 TWh) respectively.
Greece’s dependence on Russian gas
Fossil gas from Russia is imported into Greece in two different forms, either as gas through the Turkstream pipeline from Sidirokastro gate or in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). For the first time, imports of Russian LNG were recorded in October 2022.
By mid-2023, Russian-sourced gas (both pipeline and LNG) had reclaimed its position as the first source of imports, reversing the post‑2022 trend that had seen non‑Russian LNG lead. This trend persisted for all the following months, until October 2024. However, in November, Russian gas fell to second place – a position it maintained until March 2025.
In April 2025, after six months, Russian pipeline gas returns to the top import position, surpassing LNG (excluding Russian gas). The same trend continued in May 2025, with Russian pipeline gas surpassing LNG by 1.37 TWh, while in April this difference was at 1 TWh.
In early May 2025, the European Commission announced the RePowerEU plan to fully phase out imports of Russian fossil fuels. The plan aims to ban gas imports through new contracts and existing spot contracts by the end of 2025, as well as a complete ban on gas imports through long-term contracts by the end of 2027. In the case of Greece, even before the official announcement of the European target, there is an increasing share of Russian gas imports (mainly via pipeline).
It is worth noting that since November 2024, Russian gas has been entering only via pipeline, while imports in the form of LNG are zero[4].
Read here the analyses of the previous months since the start of the EU reduction measures in August 2022.
[1] Since 2008 when there are published data from DESFA.
[2] FSRU Alexandroupolis
[3] According to Gastrade’s announcement, the station will resume operations on August 15, 2025 at 25% of its maximum available regasification capacity and normally from October 1, 2025 https://www.gastrade.gr/en/2025/05/15/resumption-of-regasification-services-2/
[4] Until March, when the latest data are published by Eurostat.