It is one more partner for Europe in the face of the energy crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed on Friday August 26 that Algeria is helping to “diversify” gas supplies to Europe. Algiers notably increased its exports to Italy.
“We are not in competition with Italy” on Algerian gas, assured the President of the Republic, on the second day of his official visit to Algeria. He also underlined the “low weight of gas in the energy mix” of France.
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On the contrary, he said, “I thank Algeria” for having increased the volumes injected into the gas pipeline that supplies Italy. “It’s good for Italy, it’s good for Europe and it improves the diversification of Europe”, previously too dependent on Russian gas.
113% higher exports
Algiers had announced a further increase by the end of the year in its gas deliveries to Italy via the Transmed gas pipeline, of which it has become the leading supplier ahead of Russia, after the invasion of Ukraine. Since the beginning of 2022, Algeria has supplied Italy with 13.9 billion m³, exceeding the previously scheduled volumes by 113%.
Emmanuel Macron, however, denied that France had begged for gas from the other side of the Mediterranean. “France depends little on gas in its energy mix, around 20%, and in this whole, Algeria represents 8 to 9%, we are not in a dynamic where Algerian gas could change the situation”, he insisted.
According to the European Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory (AGSI) platform, France has filled 90.06% of its gas stocks for the winter. A percentage that bodes well for achieving the government’s goal of reaching 100% by November to address potential war-related shortages in Ukraine.