BERLIN — Canadian liquefied natural gas will be ready to flow to Europe by 2032, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson told POLITICO.
The idea is to build a pipeline that funnels LNG from the west coast of Canada to a port on the east coast, like the port of Churchill. From there, it would be shipped to Europe from a terminal that has yet to be constructed.
“I think you’re probably talking about five to seven years,” said Hodgson in an interview in Berlin on Wednesday after talks with four LNG suppliers and multiple German companies.
The idea was initially floated back in 2022 when Germany’s then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz tried to persuade Canada’s then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to find a way to ship LNG to Europe to help wean the continent off Russian oil. But the project floundered due to a lack of infrastructure, namely a pipeline to bring the LNG some 8,000 kilometers from east to west.
Now, amid U.S President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which have hit both Germany and Canada hard, both countries are scrambling to deepen ties in areas such as defense, critical minerals and energy.
Hodgson took the opportunity to throw shade across the border, stating that Canada is keen to find people who “share our views and share our values” and increase trading with them. “In a perfect world, we would maintain our relationships with the U.S. We would maintain openness, but we’re going to do what’s right for us, which is make sure we trade more with like-minded countries like Germany.”
Trump has in the past months repeatedly threatened his northern neighbor’s sovereignty in a string of comments about annexing Canada as the U.S.’s “51st state.” Both countries have also been at odds over trade, although Prime Minister Mark Carney has recently changed course by scrapping some retaliatory tariffs.
Hodgson said he was surprised by the long-term demand for LNG — typically seen as climate-unfriendly and a “transition fuel” — by German industry, but attributed this to increased demand, including from artificial intelligence. “They believe that there will be more LNG required and for longer as a transition fuel,” he added.
Berlin also wants to shift its industry away from reliance on Russia and China.
While no official announcement has been made, Carney on Tuesday said Ottawa is two weeks away from announcing major investments, including “a new port, effectively,” on Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba.
He said it would open up “enormous” opportunities to ship LNG and critical minerals from Canada’s east coast.
Mike Blanchfield contributed to this report from Ottawa.
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