Algerian investments to support the transport of gas to Spain directly by sea 2021
Informed
sources revealed that Algeria has no intention of renewing the Medgaz gas
pipeline contract, which links Spain through Morocco, after the contract
expires on October 31.
Our sources
indicated that all the needs of the Spanish market will be met exclusively
through the Medgaz pipeline that connects Algeria directly with Spain.
The same
sources also revealed that there are no negotiations to extend the contract on
the gas pipeline linking Algeria with Spain via Morocco.
She added
that Algeria is ready to meet the needs of the Spanish market with natural gas
and in large quantities through the Medgaz pipeline.
Sonatrach: Medgaz pipeline between Algeria and Spain will operate at full capacity in November
Sonatrach
announced on Wednesday (September 2nd) that the Medgaz gas pipeline, which
links Algeria with Spain, will operate at full transport capacity by the end of
next November.
This came
in a statement by the company following a visit by its director, Tawfiq Hakkar,
to the project of the fourth gas compression unit for this pipeline, in
conjunction with a controversy over the fate of the pipeline passing through
Morocco.
A statement
by the company said: In the context of following up on the completion of the
foundation's strategic projects, the CEO of Sonatrach, accompanied by Samia
tires, paid an inspection visit to the fourth gas compression unit project, in
order to raise the export capabilities of natural gas to the Iberian Peninsula
through the Medgaz pipeline from 8 to 10.5 billion cubic meters.
He added,
"The pace of achievement is making remarkable progress, and it is expected
that this unit will enter into service at the end of next November."
The
contract for the pipeline passing through Morocco expires on October 31, and
the CEO of Sonatrach, Tawfiq Hakkar, said a few days ago that if there was a
new demand for this pipeline, there would be talks, and stressed that Sonatrach
is ready to meet the Spanish request, even if there is an increase. In it,
especially that the Medgas pipeline can transport 10.5 billion cubic meters
annually.
On
September 12, 2018, Sonatrach launched a project to support the capabilities of
the Medgaz pipeline by constructing a link on the Maghreb pipeline that crosses
Moroccan territory to Spain, in the Arisha region on the Moroccan border in the
state of Tlemcen, and extending a pipeline from this connection to Beni Saf and
linking it to the Medgaz pipeline to increase Annual transportation capacities,
which will be supported by an additional 2 billion cubic meters annually.
The project
stretched over a distance of 200 km and was completed by national companies,
"Cosidar and Enac", at a financial cost of 30.6 billion dinars (3000
billion centimes), equivalent to 280 million dollars.
This
project will raise Medgaz's annual capacity to 10.5 billion cubic meters, and
it could reach 12.5 billion cubic meters annually in the future, which means
that Algeria will pump more gas to Spain directly from Beni Saf without passing
through the pipeline that crosses Moroccan territory.
This
project was launched last May, which means that the actual additional transport
capacities that pass directly from Algeria to Spain without passing through
Morocco have become 10.5 billion cubic meters annually, which explains the
statements of the CEO of Sonatrach, Taoufik Hakkar, when he stressed that
Sonatrach does not It is still able to guarantee the supply of natural gas to
Spain through the “Medgaz” pipeline, in response to the possibility of not
renewing the concession contract for the Maghreb-European gas pipeline linking
Algeria to Spain via Morocco.