10th Three Seas Summit: From gas trap to clean power and connectivity

The briefing assesses the energy transition of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) region, noting that while some countries have reduced gas demand and integrated grids, Russian gas imports rose in 2024 for several members. It warns that planned expansions of LNG and pipeline capacity by 2030 risk creating stranded assets due to declining demand. The author recommends that the 10th Three Seas Summit focus on a 2027 Russian gas phase-out, the creation of a 'Transmission Highway' for clean power, and the development of regional energy hubs.

• Russian gas could be entirely eliminated from Three Seas Initiative (3SI) countries using existing infrastructure, as non-Russian import capacities already exceed demand for landlocked members like Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia.
• Despite efforts to decouple, Russian gas imports to the EU increased by 18% in 2024, with specific increases in Czechia (+2 bcm), Poland (+0.6 bcm), and Greece (+0.5 bcm).
• The region faces a risk of significant overcapacity and stranded public investments because planned LNG import capacity is set to double by 2030 (from 25 bcm to 48 bcm), and pipeline projects may add another 20 bcm, which exceeds maximum anticipated demand growth.
• Clean power adoption has contributed to gas demand reductions between 2022-2024 compared to 2019-2021, with decreases of 8% in Poland, 15-19% in Central Europe, and 28% in Lithuania.
• The document proposes a 'Transmission Highway' project to coordinate grid investments and transfer clean power from the Baltic, Black, Aegean, and Adriatic Seas to industrial facilities in Central Europe.

APA

Ember (2025). 10th Three Seas Summit: From gas trap to clean power and connectivity. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/10th-three-seas-summit-from-gas-trap-to-clean-power-and-connectivity

Chicago

Ember. 10th Three Seas Summit: From gas trap to clean power and connectivity. 2025. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/10th-three-seas-summit-from-gas-trap-to-clean-power-and-connectivity.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=10th Three Seas Summit: From gas trap to clean power and connectivity |date=17 April 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/10th-three-seas-summit-from-gas-trap-to-clean-power-and-connectivity |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember202510th, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{10th Three Seas Summit: From gas trap to clean power and connectivity}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/10th-three-seas-summit-from-gas-trap-to-clean-power-and-connectivity}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }