Hungary to buy natural gas also from Qatar
The Hungarian Foreign Minister, who was in Doha, the capital of Qatar, did not mention a specific number or an expected delivery schedule. He only noted that Qatar's former Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has just been appointed Prime Minister, and that Szijjártó was the first foreign politician he received within minutes of his swearing-in.
Sheikh Mohammed, who will remain foreign minister, a position he’s held since 2017, replaced Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani as prime minister. The royal court has not given a reason for the change.
"As foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed has played an important role in discussions between Qatar and European countries keen to secure supplies of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine jolted energy markets," Bloomberg reported today. Qatar is one of the world’s top LNG exporters.
Szijjártó recently indicated after the Azeri President visited Budapest that Hungary could also buy Azeri gas.
Hungary could receive 100 million cubic metres of natural gas from Azerbaijan already this year, and then Budapest will sign a long-term gas purchase contract with Baku for 1-2 billion cubic metres per year, he said in mid-February.
Last week, Energy Minister Csaba Lantos mentioned a volume of 2-3 billion cubic metres of gas imports from Azerbaijan.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-07/eu-will-flex-collective-buying-clout-in-gas-market-next-month
Gas from Qatar are expected to reach Hungary in liquefied form, rather than by pipeline, and, like the Germans, through a bilateral agreement (rather than through the EU's new common gas purchase scheme). In a bid to push down energy prices, the EU plans to go to the global natural gas market as a buyers' cartel, Bloomberg reported today.
European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said joint demand from the 27 EU Member States and three neighbouring countries is 24 billion cubic meters over the next three years, according to initial estimates. The tender is to be launched in April, with Brussels expecting the first contracts with suppliers from the US to the Middle East and Africa to be signed around June.
On the supply side, more than 50 companies from around the globe are interested in engaging with Europe via the energy platform, according to Sefcovic. The first tender is to be followed by more joint purchases on a regular basis to secure the necessary amount of gas for the bloc.
Total EU LNG imports from Qatar are on the rise. In 2021, the US accounted for 22.3 billion (28%) of total EU LNG imports (80 billion cubic meters), Qatar for 16.4 bcm (20%), and Russians for 15.9 bcm (20%). In 2022, the EU's total LNG imports jumped to 135 billion cubic metres, of which US accounted for 56.4 bcm (42%), the Russians increased their supply to 22 bcm (16%) and the Qataris contributed 19 billion cubic metres (14%).
Cover photo: Péter Szijjártó's Facebook page
