Qatar, Centrica sign LNG deal

DOHA, Qatar, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Qatar and British energy company Centrica announced they signed a three-year contract for LNG that would meet 10 percent of British natural gas demands.

Qatari Energy Minister and Chairman of Qatar Petroleum International Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada met with Centrica Chief Executive Officer Sam Laidlaw, chief executive officer at Centrica, to Doha to sign a memorandum of understanding on natural gas.

The three-year deal, valued at $3.1 billion, would move 2.4 million tons of liquefied natural gas to British consumers from Qatar each year. That's enough to meet the energy demands of 10 percent of the residential consumers in the United Kingdom.

"Centrica is playing a leading role in securing Britain's future energy security," Laidlaw said in a statement. "Our strategic relationship with Qatar is central to this goal, linking the world's leading LNG exporter with one of the world's most important gas markets."

The region is reviewing its energy mix. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in November visited Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to discuss an examination of renewable energy at the university level.

Scotland aims to have 100 percent of its electricity demand met through renewable energy by 2020.