Page 6 - DMEA Week 01 2023

DMEA SECURITY & POLICY DMEA

Gas production and transportation infrastructure in Algeria (Image: ISPI)

Algeria sees gas exports

climb to 56 bcm in 2022

AFRICA ALGERIA’S natural gas exports surged to 56bn (GME) pipeline, which passes from northern
cubic metres in 2022, and volumes are expected Algeria into Morocco on before continuing to
to increase in 2023, the North African country’s Europe. However, that route has not been avail-
Ministry of Energy and Mines said on Decem- able since last year, owing to political tensions
ber 30. between Algiers and Rabat.
The state-run energy group Sonatrach has a Algeria was Europe’s third-largest gas sup-
plan to double its gas production to 100 bcm for plier in 2021 after Russia and Norway. The
export from 2023. The country currently pro- country pledged to increase its energy supplies
duces 102 bcm of gas annually, half of which is to Italy by 20% this year to around 25 bcm.
consumed by the local market. Algeria was Spain’s biggest gas supplier last year,
European countries have been seeking to accounting for 43% of the total gas needs of the
find alternative sources after Russia’s invasion of European country.
Ukraine earlier in 2022. The EU, which is largely
dependent on Russian gas, has seen energy sup- Accelerating energy projects
plies drop to less than 40% of normal levels since In related news, Algerian Ministry of Energy
Russia invaded Ukraine and the West imposed and Mines Mohamed Arkab has pledged to
sanctions against Moscow. At the same time, accelerate the implementation of electricity and
Algeria’s role as a gas supplier to some EU coun- gas projects in a number of states during 2023
tries, including Italy and Spain, has grown. while working to remove obstacles that hin-
Sonatrach signed agreements with Italy and dered their implementation, he said in a speech
Slovenia to supply 9bn and 300mn cubic metres to the National People’s Assembly on January 5.
of gas respectively. Arkab highlighted the government’s efforts
Algerian gas is transported to Europe via the to secure growing domestic demand for energy,
Transmed-Enrico Matei and Medgaz pipelines, pointing that the country will start manufactur-
which pass through northern Algeria. The for- ing gas pipelines locally. The local production of
mer crosses Tunisian territory and then has an the pipes will take place in the El-Hajjar factory.
underwater section leading to Sicily, where it The import substitution of pipes will help to
connects to the Italian gas grid, while the latter supply all the sector’s stalled projects across the
crosses the western Mediterranean and makes country, Arkab pointed out.
landfall in Spain. He added that the project to supply the
In the past, Sonatrach has also exported gas to municipalities of northern Milah with natural
Spain and Portugal via the Gas Maghreb-Europe gas is 88% completed.

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 01 05•January•2023