Algeria is seriously involved in the battle for gas pipelines to strengthen its position as a key player in the gas market, particularly in Europe.
After several years of waiting, the Galsi project linking Algeria to Italy is coming out of the drawers and would soon see the light of day according to President Tebboune.
The same is also the case for the trans-Saharan gas pipeline project linking Algeria to Nigeria via Niger, which has reached an advanced stage.
The remarks made by President Tebboune, during his interview with the press, let us understand that the Algerian and Italian parties have already reached an agreement for the realization of this famous Galsi gas pipeline project with a length of 270 km. In this sense, Mr. Tebboune, affirms.
“We have commitments to honor with the Italian side for the delivery of a quantity of 30 to 35 billion m3 of gas, a volume which exceeds the transport capacities of the Transmed gas pipeline, for this it is a question of the realization of another Galsi gas pipeline.”
This project, about which the Ministry of Energy had recently stated that it is “in the study phase”, aims to strengthen gas transmission capacities to Europe in a situation marked by a significant increase in demand for this fuel and Algeria, which intends to double its exports soon.
“I have given instructions to Sonatrach to improve production in order to be able to export nearly 100 billion m3, ie double what we currently export, around 53 billion m3”, affirmed the President.
According to Tribune, the gas pipeline will, in principle, be used to export additional quantities of natural gas to Europe, which Algeria is preparing to deliver to the old continent, pending the establishment of a real market. and competitive green hydrogen.
As designed in the past, the Galsi project will transport 8 billion m3 per year to Italy, but with the growing need for this fuel on the European market, its transport capacity could be increased for two reasons.
Nigeria-Algeria gas pipeline, “there was interference”
In the same section, the President of the Republic addressed for the first time the progress of the Nigal project, the trans-Saharan gas pipeline linking Nigeria to Algeria via Niger.
Mr. Tebboune affirms that the feasibility study of the project is “finally ready” and that sections have also been “realized”.
“There remains the Nigerian part. Algeria will take charge of carrying out this part of the project, from the Nigerian border to the Algerian border,” he reveals. Mr. Tebboune evokes the origins of the delay in the realization of this project by affirming that there “was parasitism” on the part of certain parties, without giving more details.
In addition to gas and the fuel pipeline, Algeria also aims to export electricity to Europe via an interconnection with Italy which is a gateway for Algerian gas to Europe and could also become the same for electricity.
Mr. Tebboune also asserts that Algerian energy exports are not just limited to gas and oil, “we also have a surplus of electricity production” that we “want to export to Europe, particularly in the countries that do not have gas pipelines and sufficient power generation facilities.
We have discussed this issue with countries that are friends of Italy for the construction of electrical interconnection,” he explains.
Finally, with the projects announced, Algeria intends not only to play an important role in the European gas market but to become a key player by doubling its market shares in Europe and this would only be possible by strengthening the transport infrastructure of gas and electricity.
Beneficial projects both for the country and its European partners, the most important of which is Italy for the achievement of its objective of becoming the new gas hub of Europe, following the failure of Spanish projects to resolve the European energy equation.
