VNG, the eastern German gas subsidiary of power utility EnBW, on Tuesday said potential disruptions to incoming pipelines from Europe's main supplier Russia will trigger demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and diminish Russia's future role.

"LNG will see a boom in the midst of security of supply questions," said chief executive Ulf Heitmueller in a call with reporters.

"Russian gas will lose in importance for VNG and the much-discussed bridging period for gas to usher in a carbon-free energy future will become shorter," he added.

VNG is one of Russia's biggest long-term gas customers in Germany.

(Reporting by Vera Eckert, editing by Madeline Chambers)