Year to date · January–August 2026
10.5 million tonnes
August 2026 only
1.21 million tonnes
Full year 2025
16.9 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
2.9%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 10.5 million tonnes of natural gas in the year to August 2026, 7.6% less than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 1.21 million tonnes, 4.2% less than in August 2025.
Virtually all of it travelled as liquid bulk. The item accounts for 2.9% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in natural gas came to 16.9 million tonnes, 16.2% more than in 2024: 16.2 million tonnes unloaded and 692,034 tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 99.5% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 12 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Bilbao ranks first among port authorities with 3.6 million tonnes in 2025 (4.9% more than in 2024). It is followed by Huelva (2.95 million) and Barcelona (2.88 million). Together, the three account for 55.8% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Barcelona (+42.1%), Cartagena (+35.6%) and Valencia (+20.6%); the steepest falls by Gijón (−13.1%). The comparison is limited to port authorities that account for at least 1% of the total, so that an extreme swing at a small player does not distort the picture.
The rest of the top ten are Cartagena (4th, 2.44 million, +35.6%), Valencia (5th, 2.39 million, +20.6%), Ferrol-San Cibrao (6th, 1.81 million, +11.2%), Gijón (7th, 818,009 tonnes, −13.1%), Bahía de Algeciras (8th, 1,014 tonnes, −99.3%), Las Palmas (9th, 781 tonnes, −7.4%) and Bahía de Cádiz (10th, 537 tonnes, +13.1%).
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 84.4% of the total and 5 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 2 port authorities further down share the remaining 0%. 7 of the 11 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 6 of them by double digits, and 4 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 3 are above the same month of 2025 and 5 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is down 20.1% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in July (down 35.4%); the highest point in the series was March, at 1.9 M, and the lowest July, at 860,672.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 18 M to 16.9 M, a decrease of 6.2% over 14 years (−0.5% a year on average). The best year was 2022 (22.4 M) and the worst 2016 (10.2 M).
Top 10 · Natural gas by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · natural gas
Full table · 12 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bilbao | 3.6 M | +4.9% | 3.58 M | 21.3% | Port |
| 2 | Huelva | 2.95 M | +14.4% | 2.74 M | 17.5% | Port |
| 3 | Barcelona | 2.88 M | +42.1% | 2.73 M | 17.0% | Port |
| 4 | Cartagena | 2.44 M | +35.6% | 2.25 M | 14.4% | Port |
| 5 | Valencia | 2.39 M | +20.6% | 2.31 M | 14.2% | Port |
| 6 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 1.81 M | +11.2% | 1.77 M | 10.7% | Port |
| 7 | Gijón | 818,009 | −13.1% | 811,346 | 4.8% | Port |
| 8 | Bahía de Algeciras | 1,014 | −99.3% | 1,014 | 0.0% | Port |
| 9 | Las Palmas | 781 | −7.4% | 699 | 0.0% | Port |
| 10 | Bahía de Cádiz | 537 | +13.1% | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 11 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 167 | −97.5% | 167 | 0.0% | Port |
| 12 | Sevilla | 1 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Natural gas arrives liquefied (LNG) on gas carriers at regasification plants; in the statistics it is a liquid bulk. Puertos del Estado publishes every month the tonnes of this commodity loaded, unloaded or in transit across all ports of general interest, as a cumulative figure since January, and once a year the breakdown by port authority. Figures for the current year are provisional until the yearbook is published.
Context
Spain has regasification plants in Barcelona, Huelva, Cartagena, Bilbao, Sagunto (Valencia port authority), Mugardos (Ferrol-San Cibrao) and Gijón. Traffic varies with gas demand for power generation, international prices and reloads to other countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of natural gas have Spanish ports handled this year?
10.5 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 7.6% less than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most natural gas?
Bilbao, with 3.6 million tonnes in 2025, 21.3% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
Virtually all of it travelled as liquid bulk in the year to August 2026.
When is this data updated?
Puertos del Estado publishes the data every month. Latest data available: August 2026.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · cargo by commodity, annual series or see the original source.