Norway overtakes Russia as world's top gas pipeline exporter

Norway overtook Russia as the world’s biggest exporter of gas via pipeline in 2025, reflecting Moscow’s loss of most of its market share in Europe over the past four years.

Norway, now Europe’s biggest gas supplier, piped 108.6bn cubic metres (bcm) of gas to the continent last year, according to a report by the International Gas Union (IGU). Russia delivered only 103.5 bcm, to Europe, China, Turkey and other markets, the report said.

In third place was the US, which delivered 91.9 bcm by pipeline, followed by Canada which delivered 88.6 bcm, Turkmenistan with 39.9 bcm, Algeria with 35.5 bcm, the Netherlands with 27.3 bcm, Azerbaijan with 26.1 bcm, Qatar with 21.8 bcm and Germany with 20.7 bcm.

Germany and the Netherlands are net importers of gas, but transit supplies from other countries.

Russia remained by far the biggest gas pipeline exporter as recently as 2021, when it delivered 185 bcm, plus additional volumes to countries in the former Soviet Union. But Moscow weaponised its gas supply in Europe to pressure European governments to withdraw support for Ukraine.

Russia’s only remaining direct customers in the EU are Hungary, Slovakia and Greece. It also sells gas to Turkey and some non-EU Balkan countries, as well as Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

By far the largest single buyer of Russian pipeline gas is now China, since the Power of Siberia pipeline reached its full 38 bcm per year capacity last year. A second pipeline running from the Far East to China is due online later this decade, which will add a further 10 bcm per year. 

Moscow has been trying to finalise a contract with Beijing for a further 50 bcm per year of gas via the planned Power of Siberia 2 pipeline for several years. But the Chinese side has been reluctant to commit.

A visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to China last week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping did not yield any visible progress in negotiations.