Algeria begins work on trans-African gas pipeline to Europe

Algeria has officially launched the construction of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP), a significant energy project intended to transport natural gas to European markets. The pipeline is slated to run from Nigeria, through Niger, and finally to Algeria, where it will connect to existing export infrastructure.

The TSGP aims to transport as much as 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The project's launch ceremony was attended by the energy ministers of Algeria, Nigeria, and Niger, underscoring the multinational cooperation required for its realization. This initiative has gained renewed importance amid heightened global gas demand and elevated prices, exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine.

Algeria is already a key gas supplier to Europe, providing approximately 12% of the bloc's gas imports. The TSGP faces competition from another major project, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP), which proposes to transport gas to Europe via West Africa's Atlantic coast.

The pipeline project, initially conceived in 2009, represents a strategic effort to diversify energy sources for Europe and bolster the economies of the participating African nations.

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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