Seeing that the "cold winter" of energy is imminent, Europe has targeted the "treasure land" of Africa.
On July 29, local time, according to Reuters, Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab said that African energy powers Algeria, Nigeria and Niger have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a trans-Saharan gas pipeline of about 4,000 kilometers to supply natural gas to Europe.
Algeria, Nigeria and niger signed a memorandum of understanding. Pictured from Nigerian media
Akabu told reporters after the signing ceremony that the three countries would continue to talk to realize the project as soon as possible.
The planned trans-Saharan gas pipeline is expected to span more than 4,000 kilometers, transporting gas first out of Nigeria in West Africa, north through Niger, and finally to Algeria, which transports it to Europe via existing pipelines. Algeria has built pipelines to transport natural gas to Spain and Italy, and exported about 54 billion cubic meters of natural gas to the two countries in 2021.
The idea was first proposed more than 40 years ago, when the three countries signed an agreement in 2009 with production scheduled for 2015, but it has stalled due to safety concerns and other reasons. In June, the three countries agreed to restart decades-old negotiations around the project.
The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project is estimated to cost $13 billion and could deliver 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe each year.
Algeria's roadmap for sending gas to Europe. Pictured from the Algerian government website
Although the details of the memorandum of understanding were not disclosed, the long-dormant project has attracted interest in recent months due to soaring gas prices after the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber, insists that pipelines can and should be built quickly. "We're the generation that made vaccines in less than a year," Ayyub said in May, "and you can't tell me we can't build a pipeline in a year."
However, according to the African Business Newspaper, others are far less optimistic. Agwu Ojowu, an adviser to the consultancy Africa Practice, noted that the pipeline would pass through "unattended land rife with banditry and terror." He added that a section of the pipeline already under construction in Nigeria was "significantly behind schedule". Moreover, unless Nigeria invests in the development of new gas fields, the pipeline will actually become a burden. "Even with a pipeline linking Nigeria and Europe, the country lacks spare capacity to export more natural gas to Europe," Chou said.
Currently, only three African countries supply large quantities of natural gas to Europe. Algeria supplied about 12.6 percent to the European Union last year, while Nigeria accounted for about 3.5 percent, followed by Egypt with 2.5 percent supply.
Since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the North African country of Algeria has stepped up its gas transmission to Europe, which is eager to get rid of its energy dependence on Russia, and increased oil and gas exports through pipelines and shipping. Since the beginning of the year, Algeria has supplied Italy with 13.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas, more than 113% of the initially planned amount.
Among European countries, Italy has been the most active. Since March, Italy has reached gas supply agreements with Angola, Congo (Brazzaville), Algeria, Egypt and other countries. Under one such deal, energy giant Eni will put into operation next year a liquefied natural gas project off the coast of Congo (Brazzaville). That would send up to 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Italy, about a sixth of the country's total gas currently imported from Russia.
A natural gas plant in the northern Algerian city of Algiers, 2018
Nigeria, another African energy powerhouse, is also one of Europe's targets. Last week, Matthew Baldwin, deputy director general of the European Commission's Energy Department, traveled to Africa to "ask for gas", and he said on the 23rd that Nigeria plans to reopen the trans-Niger pipeline in August, which will increase natural gas exports to Europe.
Baldwin told Reuters that about 14 percent of the EU's current LNG supply comes from Nigeria and could more than double in the future. Nigeria's oil and gas production has been affected by pipeline theft and vandalism all year round, resulting in a year-round run at 60 percent capacity, which Baldwin said Europe plans to increase to more than 80 percent.
"If we can reach more than 80 percent, by that time, there may be additional LNG available for shipment to Europe." Baldwin said.
At the same time, however, the EU has not given enough back to African countries, and is reluctant to finance gas pipelines and power plants that power Africa locally, citing climate. The move infuriated African leaders who desperately needed electricity to lift millions out of poverty and sparked criticism of "green colonialism."
"We need a long-term partnership, not inconsistencies and contradictions between the UK and the EU on green energy policies." Bloomberg quoted Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari as saying on the 11th, "This does not help their energy security, does not help Nigeria's economy, and does not help the environment." This is a hypocrisy that must be ended. ”
Vijaya Ramachandran, head of energy and development at the Breakthrough Institute, a California-based think tank, is more outspoken. This, she said, was "green colonialism" because rich countries used the resources of poorer countries while denying them access to similar resources in the name of climate action.
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