Energy
TotalEnergies to pull plug on Le Havre LNG terminal as Europe’s gas crisis recedes
TotalEnergies positioned the terminal as a strategic “safety net” to guarantee national and regional energy security
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By ICN Bureau | November 26, 2025
Global integrated energy group TotalEnergies is shutting down its floating LNG terminal in Le Havre, saying the emergency-era facility is no longer needed as Europe’s energy landscape stabilizes.
The company deployed the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in 2022 at the height of Europe’s energy crisis, when Russia’s steep cut in gas exports forced France to scramble for alternative supplies.
Acting at the French government’s request — and footing the bill itself without public subsidies — TotalEnergies positioned the terminal as a strategic “safety net” to guarantee national and regional energy security through harsh winters and geopolitical uncertainty.
But with gas markets now calmer and France’s supply conditions restored, the FSRU has scarcely been used. The Rouen Administrative Court underscored its redundancy in an October 16, 2025 ruling, clearing the way for the company’s decision to demobilize the facility.
TotalEnergies, also the world’s third-largest LNG player with a 40 Mt/y portfolio, says the move reflects a return to more stable conditions after one of Europe’s most turbulent energy periods in decades.
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