Construction of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, a vast natural gas pipeline projected to export to Europe, began in Algeria on Thursday, a statement said, marking a key milestone in the project that will also pass through Niger and Nigeria.
The TSGP seeks to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually from Nigeria through Niger and on to Algeria, where it will be exported to European markets, the official statement said.
Algeria’s Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab attended the official launch alongside Nigerian counterpart Ekperikpe Ekpo and Nigerien counterpart Hamadou Tini, according to the statement.
The project, announced in 2009, has been given new urgency by a surge in gas demand worldwide and soaring prices sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Algeria has emerged as a key gas exporter to Europe, already accounting for about 12 per cent of the bloc’s gas imports.
The TSGP competes with another mega project, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP), which also seeks to export gas to Europe across West Africa’s Atlantic coastline.
AFP
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