Equinor and Uniper Sign 15-Year Gas Supply Deal for Germany, Delivering 2.8 Billion Cubic Metres Per Year Through 2041

Equinor and Uniper signed a 15-year natural gas supply agreement on August 24, 2026, committing to deliver more than 30 terawatt-hours of gas annually to Germany through December 2041. The contract covers 2.8 billion cubic metres per year. Gas deliveries will flow to Germany's Trading Hub Europe beginning January 1, 2027.

Contract Volume and Structure

The 30-plus terawatt-hours per year converts to 2.8 billion cubic metres (99 billion cubic feet) of natural gas annually. Germany consumed 85 billion cubic metres of gas in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency. At that consumption rate, this contract covers 3.3 percent of Germany's annual gas demand. Over the full 15-year term, total contracted supply reaches 42 billion cubic metres.

Both companies declined to disclose the pricing structure, describing terms as reflecting market rates. Equinor and Uniper also signed a non-binding letter of intent to explore tracking the greenhouse gas intensity of the contracted volumes through a third-party digital verification platform. The tracking initiative would use verified data to report on the carbon attributes of Norwegian gas flowing to German buyers.

European Energy Security Drives Long-Term Contracting

QatarEnergy's force majeure at Ras Laffan Industrial City cut LNG cargo volumes to 18 shipments in the first six months of 2026, as Oil Authority reported. Dutch TTF natural gas has surged 103 percent since that disruption. European buyers dependent on spot-market procurement have faced both supply shortfalls and price volatility. Long-term contracts with Norwegian producers now represent a primary response to that risk.

Norway is Europe's largest single pipeline gas supplier, providing roughly 30 percent of the continent's annual consumption. Norwegian exports flow through the Gassled transmission network to Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium. Equinor operates the Troll gas field, the largest gas discovery in the North Sea and the foundation of Norway's export capacity. Henry Hub natural gas rose to $2.86 per MMBtu on Wednesday, up 3.25 percent, partly reflecting the improved economics of US LNG exports competing for elevated European demand.

Uniper as a German Government Counterparty

Uniper is majority-owned by the German federal government, which holds approximately 99 percent of the company following a nationalization completed in 2022. Russia's curtailment of pipeline gas supplies forced Uniper to source replacement volumes at spot prices, generating losses that required a federal bailout of roughly 34 billion euros. The company has operated as a government-controlled entity since that intervention. This agreement is, in effect, the German state securing Norwegian gas supply for the country's energy system through 2041.

Uniper CEO Michael Lewis stated: "Reliable long-term partnerships remain essential for secure and competitive energy markets." Equinor CEO Anders Opedal stated: "This agreement demonstrates the strong demand for reliable, long-term gas supplies from the Norwegian continental shelf."

Fifty Years of Norway-Germany Gas Trade

Germany has imported Norwegian natural gas since 1977. The new supply commitment begins in 2027, the year that commercial relationship reaches its 50th anniversary. Equinor identifies Germany as its single largest natural gas market by volume. Both companies framed the agreement as extending a half-century partnership into the 2040s.

Equinor disclosed at the Offshore Northern Seas conference in Stavanger on August 25, 2026, that it targets international equity production of 950,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2030. The company projects 20 billion US dollars in free cash flow from 2026 through 2030. Securing a 15-year German supply commitment supports that production outlook by locking in a buyer for Norwegian continental shelf volumes.