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Scholz with Mariam Almheiri, Climate Protection Minister of the United Arab Emirates
Photo: Mohamad Ali Harissi / AFP
In future, Germany will receive liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United Arab Emirates as a substitute for the lack of energy supplies from Russia.
During the visit of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to the Gulf state, the Essen-based energy company RWE signed a contract for the first delivery of 137,000 cubic meters of LNG.
According to RWE, a memorandum on multi-year deliveries from 2023 has been signed.
The gas is to be delivered by ship in December to the new terminal in Brunsbüttel, the first lines of which are currently being built.
For comparison: 137,000 cubic meters of liquid gas correspond to around 822 million kilowatt hours.
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, up to 1.7 billion kilowatt hours flowed through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline every day.
According to RWE, the deal marks "an important milestone" for Germany's future LNG supply.
With the trip to the Gulf region, the Federal Chancellor wants to ensure the energy supply for domestic industry.
After Saudi Arabia, Scholz wants to travel on to Qatar.
The rich emirate has the third largest gas reserves in the world after Russia and Iran and is the leading exporter of liquid gas.
However, no deals are expected in Qatar.
In return, Scholz is expected to address the working conditions of guest workers before the start of the World Cup in the country.
These are far from ideal.
Admittedly, there is progress on issues that have had to be fought for for a long time, "for example, as far as the situation of employees is concerned".
But that is far from meeting his expectations, according to Scholz.
Editor's note: There was a conversion error in an earlier version of the article. LNG multiplies its volume by about 600 times when it comes to normal temperature, which also changes the converted value in kilowatt hours. We corrected the spot.
sbo/dpa/Reuters
