Delays in unloading LNG cargoes at Egypt’s Ain Sokhna terminal are worsening the shortage of LNG tankers in the Atlantic.
Ain Sokhna, located on the western Red Sea coast just south of Suez, hosts LNG facilities alongside container, bulk, and general cargo terminals, as well as a DP World logistics park.
Egypt, once a steady LNG exporter, has sharply increased imports as domestic gas output declined. LNG imports in the first nine months of 2025 rose by more than 50 percent year-on-year, and the country plans to bring in up to 160 cargoes this year. Egypt also signed a deal with Hartree Partners for 80 additional shipments from January 2026, making it the Middle East’s largest LNG importer, ahead of Kuwait.
The government aims to boost natural gas production to 6.6 billion cubic feet per day by 2030, supported by drilling 14 offshore wells in the Mediterranean next year. But for now, rising import demand is straining the Ain Sokhna terminal.
Tankers have recently been forced to wait 10–15 days at anchor for berths, pushing Atlantic LNG freight rates to $146,750 per day on November 28, the highest this year. These delays not only raise shipping costs but also reduce tanker availability, adding pressure to a market already tightened by increased exports from Nigeria and the United States.
Ain Sokhna currently relies on three FSRUs, Energos Eskimo, Energos Power, and Hoegh Galleon, to manage its temporary import needs. With investment prioritising new gas production rather than permanent regasification capacity, such delays are expected to continue.
Reflecting the Atlantic surge, Pacific freight rates also climbed to $89,250 per day, the highest since December 2023, according to Spark Commodities.
