In Algeria, the supply of natural gas to Italy is set to increase by an additional 2 billion cubic metres, following sanctions on Russia by several countries after its troops invaded Ukraine about a week ago. The Algerian ambassador to Italy Abdelkrim Tourahria made this known in an interview with the Italian business newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore on Friday.
Algeria’s gas exports to Italy rose to 76% in 2021 to 21 billion cubic metres, accounting for 28% of Italy’s total consumption, second only to Russia’s 29 billion cubic metres. In light of Russia’s widely criticized invasion of Ukraine, Italy is seeking alternative producers of the commodity and removing its dependence on Russia for gas supplies.
“Italy will be able to count on additional supplies of Algerian gas at the same price to reach, and perhaps exceed, 30 billion cubic metres already in the next few months,” Minister Abdelkrim Touahria said.
The Trans-Mediterranean pipeline, a gas pipeline that connects Algeria and Tunisia to Scilly and the rest of Italy, currently transporting around 60 million cubic metres of Algerian gas to the southern European country on a daily basis, has an installed capacity of delivery more than a 110million cubic metres per day.
