Algeria, Niger and Nigeria want to accelerate construction of trans-Saharan gas pipeline

Algeria, Niger and Nigeria signed an agreement on Tuesday aimed at accelerating the development of a more than 4,000-kilometre trans-Saharan gas pipeline. AFP reported the news. The pipeline could also enable Nigerian gas to flow to Europe.

Once completed, the trans-Saharan gas pipeline is expected to transport billions of cubic metres of Nigerian gas to Algeria. From there, the gas could be supplied to the European Union, as the TransMed gas pipeline runs from Algeria to Italy.

Algeria, Niger and Nigeria signed a memorandum to build a 4,128-kilometre gas pipeline in 2022, but did not specify a start date. The project was revived amid rising oil and gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, AFP reported.

The three African countries have now signed an agreement to „update the feasibility study“, which will make it possible to determine „the resources needed to complete this major project quickly, within a reasonable timeframe and at competitive cost, with the aim of ensuring supplies to the energy market,“ Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab said.