“Algeria says it is ready to provide more gas to the European Union in the event of difficulties”. This was indicated, on Sunday, February 27, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Algerian Hydrocarbons Company, Sonatrach, Taoufik Hakkar, reaffirming the provision of Algeria to increase the supply of the European gas market, to compensate for the consequences of the Russian military invasion in Ukraine.
According to him, the Sonatrach has an unused capacity on the transmediterranean gas pipeline (connecting Algeria to Italy), which could be used to increase supplies of the European market.
He also recalled that Algeria already contributes 11% in the total gas imports of Europe and that the transmediterranean gas pipeline can transport up to 32 billion cubic meters per year, four times more than the Medgaz gas pipeline which feeds Spain.
Algeria, which exports a maximum of 22 billion cubic meters via the Transmed pipeline would thus have a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters to export, however it could not alone “compensate for the drop in supply of Russian gas”.
