Malta’s energy requirements are so low that issues with the international supply of gas were of no concern, the State energy provider said.

A spokesman for Enemalta told the Times of Malta that the quantities of liquefied natural gas required to generate electricity in Malta were too low for any shortage in the international market to cause supply concerns for the island.

He was reacting to international media reports that global LNG supplies could be in question after Saudi Arabia and key allies in the Gulf cut ties with Qatar, the world’s top seller of LNG.

The matter has stoked concerns over supply distributions to neighbouring countries, which could have a ripple effect on the global gas market.

The spokesman said that while Enemalta was not directly involved in the trading and importation of LNG, the company was confident this would not have any negative impacts on Malta.

“Any resulting fluctuations in international LNG prices will not impact Enemalta’s existing gas supply agreements, since these are established on the basis of the country’s policies prioritising long-term price stability,” he said.

Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, both highly reliant on Qatar gas, and Bahrain have said they would sever all ties, including transport links with Qatar in an escalation on past diplomatic spats.

They have accused Qatar, which supplies roughly a third of global LNG, of supporting extremism.

LNG traders startled by the developments have reportedly started planning for “all eventualities”, especially any upset in gas supply with the Arab world.

Meanwhile, the spokesman added that Enemalta operated a diversified, eco-friendly energy generation mix, including gas-fired plants, the Malta-Italy interconnector and grid-connected renewables backed up by adequate spare capacities to secure continued electricity supply.