The Nigeria-Algeria-Europe Gas Pipeline : Best Option

[CEZAYIRLI]

Why The Nigeria-Algeria-Europe Pipeline is The Best?

The Nigeria-Algeria-Europe gas pipeline is the best and most efficient economically, financially and technically, compared to the route promoted through Morocco, due to several reasons, the former Energy Minister, Abdelmadjid Attar, said in a phone interview to Echorouk. “One of the most...

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The Nigeria-Algeria-Europe Gas Pipeline : Best Option

Hacene Houicha / English version: Dalila Henache
2021/11/22

The Nigeria-Algeria-Europe gas pipeline is the best and most efficient economically, financially and technically, compared to the route promoted through Morocco, due to several reasons, the former Energy Minister, Abdelmadjid Attar, said in a phone interview to Echorouk.

“One of the most prominent advantages of the Nigeria-Algeria-Europe gas pipeline is that it passes through only one country, which is Niger, to reach Algeria from Nigeria, which means that the rights of transit for this pipeline will be for only one country, Niger”, he added.

Abdelmadjid Attar explains that one of the advantages of this pipeline route through Algeria is that it avoids passing through about 12 African countries. Thus, there are no multiple rights of transit, and the countries that it is supposed to cross do not have gas and need this substance, according to what Morocco’s narrative promotes, while its route through Niger and Algeria never poses this problem.

According to the former CEO of Sonatrach, the route of this pipeline through Algeria will bypass the sea (the Atlantic Ocean), and therefore it will be less financially cheaper and technically easier.

Abdelmadjid Attar, who also held the position of Minister of Water Resources, explained that the route of this pipeline through Algeria will provide an outlet for Nigerian gas directly to Europe, given the presence of a pipeline transport network ready and up to the European continent.

“The Algerian route to the Nigerian gas pipeline will provide a ready transportation facility represented in the pipeline linking Algeria with Italy, whose annual transport capacities reach 30 billion cubic meters, and Italy, in turn, is linked to Europe similar to Slovenia, Austria and even Germany”.

Regarding the possibility of reactivating the Galsi gas pipeline, which was supposed to connect Algeria with the island of Sardinia, and then the Italian mainland, in light of the suspension of work on the Maghreb-Europe pipeline that passes through Morocco, Attar confirmed that this is possible, but there must be production capabilities that allow the pumping of more gas, finding the necessary financial envelopes needed to finance investments, and ensuring that there is a market for this gas in Italy and the European continent.

“There is a possibility of finding a market for this gas through the Galsi pipeline, given that Europe is looking to diversify its sources of supply, and not be at the mercy of one supplier, and currently Russia, Algeria, Qatar and the United States are at the forefront of gas suppliers to the European continent”.

“Obtaining additional Algerian production in the required quantities is possible by exploiting shale gas, but that will not be 10 years from now, but it will provide the required addition”.

Two days ago, Nigeria’s ambassador to Algeria, Mohamed Mabdul, said that the Algerian-Nigerian gas pipeline project is progressing very quickly and that the two countries succeeded in extending pipelines to Niger’s borders, confirming that Algeria will help his country to market its surplus gas in the European market.

In an interview with the Nigerian newspaper, “Punch”, Mohamed Mabdul confirmed that the project is progressing very quickly and when it reaches the city of Kano, it will be connected across the Niger border and from there it will move to Algeria, and the Algerian pipelines have almost reached its borders with Niger.