Digital infrastructure as a market institution: Coordination, resilience, and governance in Transatlantic LNG trade

Abstract

Transatlantic liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade between the United States and the European Union has expanded substantially since 2022, driven by the restructuring of European energy supply following the curtailment of Russian pipeline gas. This paper examines the role of digital infrastructure in strengthening this trade across three analytical dimensions: operational coordination, supply chain resilience, and sustainability governance. Applying a qualitative systems-based analysis over the period 2021–2025, and drawing on official statistics, regulatory guidance, industry reports, and documented operational and cyber disruptions, the study evaluates how digital tools including real-time vessel tracking, smart terminal systems, predictive maintenance platforms, and regulatory reporting mechanisms, reduce coordination frictions and improve market transparency. The analysis treats digital infrastructure not merely as a technical enhancement but as an evolving market institution that shapes how LNG is traded, verified, and regulated across jurisdictions. The findings indicate that while digital systems have become operationally indispensable, the current infrastructure remains transitional: fragmented data standards, persistent paper-based documentation, limited interoperability, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities constrain full market coordination. The study concludes that interoperable, secure, and standardised digital infrastructure is a prerequisite, not merely an efficiency gain, for a resilient and transparent transatlantic LNG market, particularly as environmental accountability and automated market interaction become increasingly central to trade governance.