France’s gas ‘safety net’ no longer needed: TotalEnergies dismantling LNG terminal

November 26, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

France’s energy giant TotalEnergies has decided to demobilize its floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in Le Havre, as this liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is no longer required to strengthen energy security in the country and Europe.

When the Ukraine crisis struck in 2022, Europe faced a major energy crisis as a result of a sharp decline in gas imports from Russia. Given the way things played out, TotalEnergies explained that France had to increase its LNG imports to ensure its own energy security and contribute to that of Europe.

With this in mind and at the request of authorities at the time, the French player provided the country, at its own expense and without any public subsidies, with an FSRU in the port of Le Havre.

According to the company, the LNG terminal acted as a “safety net,” with its additional gas import capacity proving potentially “very useful” in the event of significant consumption peaks caused by winter weather conditions or geopolitical tensions.

TotalEnergies believes that this decision enabled it to make a full contribution to the country’s energy sovereignty in a highly tense and uncertain context. Since gas supply conditions in France and Europe have stabilized, the firm notes that the floating LNG terminal in Le Havre is no longer necessary.

Based on the company’s statement, the lack of use proves this point as well as the observation by the Rouen Administrative Court in its decision of October 16, 2025. In light of this, TotalEnergies has decided to demobilize its LNG FSRU in Le Havre.

With a global portfolio of 40 Mt/y in 2024, thanks to its interests in liquefaction plants in all geographies, the firm claims to benefit from an integrated position across the LNG value chain, including production, transportation, access to more than 20 Mt/y of regasification capacity in Europe, trading, and LNG bunkering.

TotalEnergies’ ambition is to increase the share of natural gas in its sales mix to almost 50% by 2030, in a bid to curb carbon emissions and eliminate methane emissions associated with the gas value chain, and work with local partners to promote the transition from coal to natural gas.

TotalEnergies recently delved into its multi-energy strategy investments, spotlighting its low-carbon progress supported by a €20 billion injection over the past five years.