With the war in Ukraine, Germany is seeking to reduce its dependence on Russian gas as quickly as possible.
Berlin has therefore pledged to "accelerate" the construction of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals as part of a long-term energy agreement with Qatar, the Qatari Ministry of Energy announced on Sunday.
This agreement was reached during a visit to Doha by the German Minister of Economy and Climate, Robert Habeck.
"The German government has taken rapid and concrete measures to accelerate the development of two LNG terminals in Germany", a priority to "allow the long-term import of LNG" into this country, the Qatari ministry indicated.
The two parties "have agreed that their respective commercial entities will re-engage and advance discussions on the long-term supply of LNG from Qatar to Germany", he added.
Qatar wants long-term contracts
Several years of talks with Berlin had previously failed to lead "to definitive agreements due to the lack of clarity on the place of long-term gas in Germany's energy mix and on LNG import infrastructure required”.
Doha has cited the huge investment cost of gas production to justify the need for long-term contracts.
Qatar, which is among the world's top three LNG exporters, plans to increase its production by 50% by 2027.
In Berlin, a spokeswoman for the German Ministry of the Economy had confirmed earlier on Sunday the conclusion of a long-term agreement, specifying that the next step will be for the companies concerned "to enter the concrete contract negotiations”.
Robert Habeck met in Doha with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
European countries increasingly rely on LNG as an alternative to Russian gas.
The question is particularly delicate for Germany, half of whose gas imports come from Russia.
Berlin worries about Russian gas embargo
Ahead of his trip to the Middle East, which also includes a visit to the United Arab Emirates, Robert Habeck told
Deutschlandfunk
radio on Saturday that the government was concerned about the security of Germany's gas supplies for the coming winter " if deliveries from Russia were to be cut off”.
Germany is criticized for its opposition to an immediate embargo on Russian hydrocarbons in order to dry up financial flows to Moscow.
But for Berlin, such a boycott would destabilize the German economy and society because it would cause a spike in the cost of energy as well as the risk of shortages.
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