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Algeria, Nigeria and Niger sign MOU on pipeline

July 28, 2022

To move away from relying on Russian energy, the European Union are increasingly turning to Africa for natural gas imports — and Algeria, Niger and Nigeria are looking to cash in.

https://p.dw.com/p/4EnmF
Algerian BP workers in the gas complex of Tiguentourine, In Amenas, 1600 km southeast of Algiers, Algeria
Africa is endowed with vast natural gas reserves but lacks the infrastructure to export itImage: Mohamed Messara/dpa/picture alliance

Algeria, Niger and Nigeria signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to build a 4,000-kilometer (2,500-mile) Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline.

Algeria's Energy Ministry said the natural gas pipeline would stretch across the Sahara desert.

It is estimated that, once the $13 billion (€12.75 billion) pipeline is complete, it will transport up to 30 billion cubic meters (1 trillion cubic feet) of gas annually from Nigeria, in West Africa, north through Niger and on to Algeria.

From there, it could be pumped through the undersea

 Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline to Europe or loaded onto Liquefied Natural Gas tankers for export.

Timipre Sylva, Nigerias Minister of Oil Resources, Mohamed Arkab, Algeria's Minister of Energy and Mines and Sani Mahamadou, Nigers Minister of Energy and Renewable Energy shake hands after signing a MoU on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline
Nigerian, Algerian and Nigerien energy ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the Trans-Saharan Gas PipelineImage: Chahine Sebiaa /IMAGO

Gas pipeline in the works for a while

The idea was first proposed over 40 years ago, but progress stalled.

The new momentum comes as the European Union seeks to wean itself off Russian gas during the war in Ukraine.

The security situation in the Sahel region and tensions between the governments in Algiers and Niamey also delayed the project.

It wasn't until 2021, when Algeria and Niger reopened their border, that discussions to construct the pipeline restarted.

Earlier this week, EU member states agreed to reduce gas consumption as concerns grow that Russia might cut off already decreasing deliveries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had said the deal to reduce gas use was about preventing the Kremlin from being able to blackmail the EU with gas deliveries: to stop "Russia using gas as a weapon," as she put it.

lo/msh (AFP/Reuters)