Energy, what Europe will do in Algeria
Algeria has signed an agreement with the Spanish Naturgy and the American BlackRock to convert the Medgaz into a hydrogen pipeline. All the details
There is a new episode in the Algeria-Europe series. Energy relations between the North African country and the EU are constantly updated. Finally, Sonatrach has signed an agreement with the Spanish Naturgy and the American investment company BlackRock to convert the Medgaz pipeline into a hydrogen corridor. Which is the energy link between Algiers and Almeria.
THE FEASIBILITY
What is the purpose of the agreement? Insert a further element in the chain of resolution of the European energy challenge.
The feasibility of the adaptation will be investigated in 2023 with the aim of adhering to the European line of development of hydrogen transport via pipeline, guaranteeing low carbon content and energy reliability. And this conversion to H2 could also concern the new Franco-Spanish tube, the Barcelona-Marseille which has taken the place of the now defunct MidCat .
As El Economista recalls, meanwhile, Medgaz comes from a recent expansion of its infrastructure: in Algeria a fourth turbocompressor was added in the Béni Saf station which made it possible to increase the Algerian transport capacity to 10 bcm per year from the current 8.
ALGERIA'S ENERGY AMBITIONS
Algiers wants to become a real hydrogen hub, the EU and the US are ready to follow up on a series of initial agreements to strengthen local production. There is also Russia, recalls the researcher Francesco Sassi on his Twitter profile.
Algeria's Sonatrach,
Spain's Naturgy &
US investor Black Rock, partners of
African energy producers see theEU energy crisis and transition's ambitions as an opportunity
pic.twitter.com/IhwwPuSYLp
— Francesco Sassi (@Frank_Stones) November 24, 2022
And the potential extends to solar and natural gas. By 2035, the goal is to produce 15GW from RES, of which 65% from solar and 23% from the second.
Overall, the energy relationship between Algeria and Europe sees the TransMed, the GME (suspended following a diplomatic dispute between Algiers and Rabat) and the Medgaz as protagonists. The first concerns Italy. It arrives in Mazara del Vallo and transports up to 30 billion cubic meters per year (21 billion cubic meters in 2021). What's more: in November, Sonatrach signed a gas purchase and sale contract with the Slovenian Geoplin for the supply of gas to Slovenia through the gas pipeline linking Algeria to Italy for a period of three years. An agreement, therefore, which also concerns Rome and which confirms the direct connection between the country led today by Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the Old Continent.
WHAT ENI AND SONATRACH DO
We close with the relationship between Eni and Sonatrach. In general, even before the Russian war against Ukraine, Italy was closely tied to Algiers. We are talking about a level of gas imports equal to 22.5 billion cubic meters of gas in 2021 alone. A level equivalent to 29.6% of national consumption.
Il Cane a Sei Legge, on the other hand, has been operating in Algeria since 1981. At the beginning of October, the start of production in the Berkine Sud field was announced. It is the first contract to be signed under the new Algerian hydrocarbon law 19-13, it currently amounts to approximately 1 million standard cubic meters per day of gas (MSm3/d) and 4,000 barrels per day of associated liquids. The agreement was confirmed about two weeks ago, for 2023 net production in 2023 will exceed 120,000 boed . While by the end of the year the increase to about 2 MSm3/d is expected, reaching the saturation of the gas treatment capacity of the MLE plant, equal to 11 MSm3/d.
In September, however, the company led today by Claudio Descalzi as CEO announced that it had reached an agreement on the acquisition of BP's assets in Algeria, including "In Amenas" and "In Salah", the most important fields gas plants operated by international companies in the country. But Eni's activity also extends to renewable energies. In fact, exactly one week ago, work began on the construction of a new 10 MW photovoltaic plant in Bir Rebaa North, in the Berkine basin, and the Solar Lab was inaugurated.
(Article published in Energia Oltre )
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/algeria-europa-progetti-energia/ on Sun, 27 Nov 2022 07:24:52 +0000.