The energy partnership that Habeck announced with much fanfare in 2022 following his negotiations with Qatar has yet to bring Germany any LNG. The Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed to Apollo News that Germany is currently “not importing any LNG from Qatar.” The ministry declined to provide any concrete delivery commitments. Instead, according to the ministry, the outcome of the negotiations amounts to a single working group meeting and a virtual workshop.(apollo-news: 24.01.26)
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The Ministry writes that the “Qatar-German Energy Partnership” was launched in 2022 “with an initial focus on LNG exports.” The stated goals include the exchange of information on “regulatory issues” and the development of “strategic business opportunities.” Thus, the official focus was not only on symbolism but also on export prospects. Nevertheless, to this day, there has been no visible delivery to Germany.
At the same time, the Ministry of Economic Affairs points to market conditions. The LNG market is “very liquid,” which is why there is “no global shortage of LNG.” Furthermore, the ministry emphasizes that the German government does not, in principle, conclude supply contracts, but rather “companies and traders.” This statement relies on formal responsibilities. Nevertheless, the political core remains, as Berlin presented the energy partnership as a response to a supply crisis.
Two workshops, one webinar, one meeting: That’s all that’s on the list
When asked about concrete results, the ministry primarily mentions event formats. “Several events have taken place so far within the framework of the partnership,” it states. However, two activities stand out in particular because they characterize the nature of the cooperation: a “working group meeting between the then-Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and Qatar Energy” and a “virtual workshop on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).” The ministry also mentions a “webinar on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)” and an exchange with the Qatari Ministry of the Environment.
The time frame is striking. The ministry assigns the dates to the years 2023 and 2024. This means the aforementioned steps took place more than a year ago. In the current legislative period, the format appears to have been scaled back, even though Economics Minister Katherina Reiche traveled to Qatar. What was discussed there is not publicly known, and the trip does not appear as a progress marker in the ministry’s presentation on the energy partnership.
Europe imports Qatari LNG, Germany remains on the sidelines
While Germany does not receive any Qatari LNG, other European countries do import gas from the emirate. Deutsche Welle reported that in 2024, twelve percent of the LNG in Europe came from Qatar. At the same time, the USA led the way with 43 percent, followed by Russia with 21 percent. Other supplier countries such as Algeria, Nigeria, Norway, and Trinidad played a smaller role, according to the report.
These figures underscore that Qatar remains capable of supplying LNG. They also show that the bottleneck for Germany does not necessarily depend on the global supply. Therefore, the question arises as to why the energy partnership has not even resulted in the commencement of regular deliveries to Germany. Ultimately, for supply policy, what matters is not the number of rounds of talks, but the arrival of the tankers and the price signals in the market.
Qatar is monitoring Germany’s gas storage capacity but is seeking other customers
Qatar is nevertheless closely following the situation in Germany. The state-run Qatar News Agency recently reported a German gas storage level of 51.8 percent, echoing assessments from the Federal Network Agency. According to the agency, the risk of a supply interruption is low, yet it has called for energy conservation. Doha is thus registering the nervousness in Europe. At the same time, Qatar is visibly broadening its export strategy.
Asia remains a key focus, as it has the largest import capacities. Japan is considered a particularly important customer. Both countries want to expand their partnership, and energy policy in Tokyo has been heavily influenced by gas demand since Fukushima in 2011. According to QNA, Qatar provided assistance at the time, even transferring $100 million in disaster relief. Such ties have a long-term impact. They explain why Qatar often considers supply relationships in Asia more stable than European options.
Newer target markets are also emerging. Qatar and Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding for LNG deliveries at the beginning of the year. According to QNA, the agreement “explicitly includes up to 24 deliveries in the coming months.” Long-term deliveries are also to be made possible. This ties up resources in Qatar, while Germany remains without Qatari LNG.
Political symbolism meets harsh reality
The overall picture is unfavorable for the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Berlin. An energy partnership announced as a response to a historic supply gap has so far primarily delivered paperwork and schedules. The Ministry’s argument refers to trade logic and global liquidity. But precisely for this reason, the outcome is all the more striking: If LNG is available worldwide, the absence of Qatari volumes is doubly noticeable for Germany.
Thus, in the publicly available documents, von Habeck’s negotiations are characterized above all by the discrepancy between announcement and effect. Europe is getting LNG from Qatar. Germany is not. And as long as this remains unchanged, the energy partnership exists primarily as a political promise that cannot withstand market realities.