Croatia to Expand LNG Terminal Pipeline Capacity on Krk Island

Croatia plans to significantly boost the pipeline infrastructure connected to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the island of Krk, increasing its capacity to handle up to 6.1 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The terminal, located at Omišalj on Krk island in the northern Adriatic, serves as a key energy hub for Central and Eastern Europe, allowing the region to import LNG from global markets — including from the United States and the Middle East — as an alternative to Russian pipeline gas. The expansion of pipeline connections from the terminal would allow greater volumes of gas to flow inland to countries including Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia. The move is part of broader European Union efforts to diversify energy supplies and reduce dependence on Russian natural gas following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which prompted the EU to accelerate the development of alternative import infrastructure. For landlocked Slovakia, which relies heavily on gas imports, increased capacity at the Krk terminal represents a meaningful step toward greater energy security.