Italy is exploring alternative natural gas supplies from the United States, Africa and Azerbaijan after deliveries from QatarEnergy were disrupted by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said on Friday.
The minister said Rome is assessing several options to replace liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments that will not arrive after QatarEnergy declared force majeure on some deliveries.
The Qatari energy giant informed Italian utility Edison that it would be unable to meet contractual obligations related to five LNG cargoes scheduled for delivery in early April, according to Pichetto Fratin.
The disruption comes as tensions in the Middle East threaten energy supply routes and raise concerns about global gas availability.
Despite the setback, the minister said Italy is confident it can secure replacement volumes and avoid major supply problems.
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“Qatar accounts for around 9 percent of Italy’s annual gas consumption,” Pichetto Fratin told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, adding that the country has several potential alternatives.
One option is importing additional LNG cargoes from the United States if supplies are available on the international market.
Italy is also considering increasing pipeline gas imports from African producers, including Algeria and Mozambique.
Another possible source is Libya, although Pichetto Fratin said technical conditions would need to be improved before flows could be increased.
Additional gas could also arrive from Azerbaijan via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, which transports natural gas from the Caspian region to southern Europe.
Italy has increasingly diversified its gas supply sources in recent years, particularly after the reduction of Russian gas deliveries following the start of the war in Ukraine.
The country has strengthened energy partnerships with North African producers and expanded LNG import capacity to reduce dependence on any single supplier.
The disruption from Qatar highlights the vulnerability of global gas markets to geopolitical tensions, particularly when conflicts affect key shipping routes or production hubs.
Qatar is one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, supplying energy to Europe and Asia through long-term contracts.
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Analysts say that while the volumes affected in Italy’s case are relatively small, the declaration of force majeure underscores how rapidly geopolitical developments can disrupt global energy supply chains.
For Italy, securing alternative supplies will be crucial to maintaining stable gas inventories ahead of the next storage cycle and ensuring adequate energy supply for households and industry.
