Ukraine Redirects Liquefied Petroleum Gas Supplies via the Danube Amid Black Sea Security Concerns

The volume of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) delivered to Ukrainian river ports on the Danube more than doubled during the first six months of 2025. Terminals in these ports have undergone modernization, and a new terminal with an LPG station has been launched in Orlivka.
Tankers carrying LPG are now heading to Danube ports instead of Black Sea routes due to security concerns.

Following a series of attacks on port infrastructure along the Black Sea coast, the government and energy market operators began diversifying logistics routes. This approach reduces risks and strengthens a resilient supply system for critical energy resources.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research:

“Strengthening the role of the Danube corridor in energy supply is a strategic step aligned with Europe’s overall trend toward enhanced energy security. Ukrainian Danube ports — Reni, Izmail, and Orlivka — are emerging as vital nodes of a new energy logistics network. This shift not only decreases dependency on the Black Sea but also creates preconditions for the development of river transport clusters, LPG storage, and processing infrastructure within the ‘Greater Odesa’ area and across the southern region.”

IDR Analytical Assessment:

• The Danube corridor is becoming the foundation for a Lower Danube Energy Hub;
• Expanded port capacity will enable broader imports of LPG, biofuels, ethanol, and oil products;
• Cooperation with Romanian ports Galați and Giurgiulești supports a new model of cross-border energy cooperation;
• In line with SDGs 7 and 9 (Affordable Energy and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), this represents a practical integration of energy security and sustainable development.

IDR Recommendations:

1. Continue developing terminal infrastructure on the Danube with private investment involvement.
2. Draft a “Danube Region Energy Strategy of Ukraine 2030.”
3. Deepen cooperation with Romanian and Moldovan partners along the “Orlivka–Galați–Giurgiulești” energy axis.