Hungary says it will end Russian gas imports by autumn 2027
Hungary plans to stop importing Russian natural gas by autumn 2027, in line with the EU phase-out timetable, Foreign Minister Anita Orbán told Telex. Energy Minister István Kapitány said the country is negotiating with neighbouring states and LNG suppliers, and that existing cross-border infrastructure can support alternative supplies.
Bottom line — Hungary’s gas imports must shift before the EU’s autumn 2027 deadline.
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Kapitány said Hungary’s reliance on Russian gas reflected cost, not a lack of technical capacity to import from elsewhere, according to Balkan Green Energy News.
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Balkan Green Energy News reported that Russian gas previously made up 75% to 80% of Hungary’s imports; Kapitány declined to give figures for recent reductions.
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Alternatives discussed include LNG through Croatia and a gas corridor through Greece, which could provide access to Azerbaijani gas, theBabelUA reported.
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Open4Business reported that MVM has agreed to buy 800 million cubic metres of gas from Azerbaijan’s SOCAR over two years from 2026.
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Open4Business reported that MVM signed a five-year deal with US company Chevron for about 2 billion cubic metres of LNG annually; deliveries are due to start on 1 October 2027.
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Romania’s Neptun Deep gas field is expected to begin production in 2027, with output projected to reach about 8 billion cubic metres a year at full capacity, Open4Business reported.
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The end date varies across reports: Armenpress quoted Orbán as saying autumn 2027, while Kapitány told Telex, according to Open4Business and TASS, that Hungary aimed to be ready by October.