The energy issue finally made its way onto the agenda. According to our colleagues from Europe 1 and BFMTV, during his trip to Algeria, Emmanuel Macron discussed with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune a possible increase in gas deliveries to France, with the possible prospect of a stoppage of deliveries. Russians before winter.
While to date, Algerian gas represents only 8% of French gas imports, Algiers is considering increasing its deliveries by 50% in the face of the consequences of the war in Ukraine on energy resources.
No official agreement has yet been announced, but, according to Europe 1, Algiers must meet during the day with the French energy group Engie in order to validate the outlines of this agreement. Catherine McGregor, its CEO, is indeed part of the trip.
“Not in a dynamic where Algerian gas could be a game-changer”
With BFMTV, the president’s entourage confirms the holding “at the moment of discussions between Engie and the Algerian government to increase deliveries of gas and LNG”. They “seem to be on the right track. The proportions have not yet been decided”, continues this source, adding that “+ 50% would be a credible target”.
Asked about these discussions this Sunday noon on BFM, government spokesman Olivier Véran did not wish to confirm this figure of 50% “Announcements will be made soon, what is certain is that there has been a rapprochement during this trip,” he said. Sweeping away the hypothesis of a visit to Algeria made for this purpose, he adds that “any trip by the president is used to carry industrial files”.
On the second day of his visit, Friday, Emmanuel Macron was pleased that Algiers is helping “to diversify” Europe’s gas supplies, by increasing its exports to Italy. However, he denied that France had “gone to Canossa” to beg gas from Algeria. “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”, had underlined the Head of State.