2023-10-12 14:07:49
Date October 12, 2023 Add Article added Download PDF Share
According to the contract signed on Wednesday October 12 between TotalEnergies and Qatar Energy, Doha undertakes to supply a maximum of 3.5 million tonnes of LNG per year to France from 2026 for a period of 27 years. This will extend beyond 2050, the year from which Paris committed to carbon neutrality.
If LNG supply contracts are by nature long-term, this is the first time that a European state has committed to purchasing fossil fuels beyond 2050.
To date, only Chinese companies Sinopec and China National Petroleum Corporation have signed a contract of such duration with Qatar. In November 2022, Germany committed to purchasing 2 million tonnes of LNG per year from Doha for a period of 15 years. At the same time, Federal Minister of the Economy and Climate Robert Habeck said he was “not opposed to contracts of 20 years or even more […] “Companies simply need to be aware that buyers in Germany will be fewer and fewer if we want to maintain climate goals.”
The signing of this contract, which is not surprising considering TotalEnergies’ recent investments in LNG expansion projects in Qatar, demonstrates the efforts made by member states to secure their energy supplies since the invasion of Ukraine — and the decline in imports from Russia.
Qatar is today the second largest partner of the European Union in terms of LNG imports, with around 1,780 million m³ exported per month between January 2021 and July 2023. If Qatar’s share in European LNG imports has fallen in proportion since 2021 — going from 19.5% of the total over the first 7 months of the year to 16.8% for 2023 — exported volumes have increased by 43% (from 9,156 million m³ over the same period in 2021 to 13,090 this year). This decrease in proportion is notably due to the massive increase in LNG imports from the United States. In July, the latter represented 46% of total European imports.
Paris will have to offset its emissions linked to gas combustion through technologies such as CO₂ capture and storage. Although LNG emits 30% less carbon dioxide than oil for the same quantity of energy and 50% less than coal, 16.5% of the primary energy consumed in France in 2022 was produced by LNG. natural gas — a relatively stable share since the 2000s.
While Israel is preparing to carry out a ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Paris is increasing with this contract its gas dependence on a state which supports – at least in a relative way – the terrorist group .
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