Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi signed an agreement with Algeria to supply more natural gas from the North African country. Italy wants to reduce its dependence on Russian gas because of the war in Ukraine.
A pipeline across the Mediterranean is already carrying Algerian gas to Italy. Those deliveries will be increased. Currently, Russia is still responsible for about 40 percent of Italy’s gas supplies.
Immediately after the invasion of Ukraine, she announced that Italy would take rapid steps to reduce its dependence on Russian gas. “Today’s deal is an important step towards achieving that strategic goal, and more will follow,” Draghi said after meeting Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Algeria is one of Italy’s most important trading partners. It is also the second largest gas supplier after Russia. On February 28, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio went to Algiers.
A pipeline through Tunisia to Italy
Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach said in late February it was ready to supply more gas to Europe. This will be done via TransMed, the trans-Mediterranean pipeline that runs through Tunisia from Algeria to Italy. Sonatrach said that capacity is still available from Transmed. According to CEO Tawfiq Haqqar, the question is how much volume is still available after serving the national market.
Italy imports 95 percent of its gas consumption. It is one of the European countries most dependent on Russian gas.
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