Qatar‘s Minister of State for Energy and CEO of QatarEnergy, Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, expressed concern about a possible shortage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) while speaking at the Doha Forum.
He believes the shortage could arise as early as 2035 due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence infrastructure and increased global energy demand, particularly in data centers, which have proven to be energy «black holes.»
This is increasing demand for natural gas as a reliable «bridge fuel» for power generation. This is why Al-Kabbi predicts that by 2035, LNG demand could reach 600–700 million tons per year (mtpa), up from approximately 400 mtpa today. This is largely due to the rise of energy-intensive artificial intelligence.
Investments are insufficient, and if the situation doesn’t change in the next five to six years, we will have problems in 2035. In every country we negotiate with, 10% to 20% of demand is for artificial intelligence, Al-Kaabi said at the forum in Doha.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) published its World Energy Outlook in November, which confirmed al-Kaabi’s view on LNG.
In its official document, the IEA forecasts global LNG trade to grow from 560 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2024 to 880 bcm by 2035 and to 1020 bcm by 2050, driven by growing demand in the energy sector, driven by the development of data centers and artificial intelligence.