US to Become Top 3 Liquefied Natural Gas Exporter in 5 Years - Energy Agency

The United States will become one of the world’s leading exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) within a period of five years, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a speech at the National Press Club in Wasihington, DC on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The White House announced in June that the United States was determined to become a global player in exporting liquefied natural gas.

"US in our view, in five years of time will be one of the top three LNG exporters in the world, such as Australia, Qatar and the United states," Birol stated.

Moreover, the State Department said on June 8 that the first shipment of US liquefied natural gas had arrived in Central Europe, at a terminal in Poland. The State Department explained it had worked closely with European nations to diversify the region’s energy supplies through liquefied natural gas imports.

The United States has long argued in favor of exporting liquefied natural gas to Europe, claiming it will help European allies decrease dependence on energy imports from Russia.

However, the cost of shipping liquefied natural gas from the United States to Europe remains high and requires sizable infrastructure investment.