OFFICIALS from Nigeria, Algeria, and Niger have signed new agreements aimed at fast-tracking the development of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP), a massive infrastructure project designed to transport billions of cubic meters of natural gas from Nigeria to Europe.
The pipeline, first announced in 2009, will stretch 4,128 kilometers, carrying gas from Nigeria through Niger and into Algeria.
Once in Algeria, the gas can either be pumped through the Transmed undersea Mediterranean pipeline to Italy or exported via liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers.
During a ministerial meeting in Algiers, the three countries signed contracts, including an update of the feasibility study and non-disclosure agreements among their state energy companies.
Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab stated that the updated feasibility study would outline the resources needed to accelerate the project’s development at competitive costs.
The initial cost of the pipeline was estimated at $10 billion, though no new valuation was provided during the latest discussions.
However, the project has taken on renewed urgency due to rising global demand for gas and the sharp increase in prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.