The TSGP is beneficial to Africa, but not necessarily to all EU countries
Mr. Choeib Boutamine
August 12, 2023
Mr. Choeib Boutamine, CEO of Ranadrill, told Sputnik Afrique that the Nigerian gas that is supposed to reach Europe via the new Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline will not be able to compensate for the EU’s lack of Russian gas.
He pointed out that the new Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) which is supposed to connect Nigeria to southern Europe via Niger and Algeria, will not be able to fully replace the Russian gas delivered to European countries.
Mr. Boutamine indicated that gas from the Trans-Saharan pipeline would not be enough to stabilize the energy market in Europe, stressing that the EU had made an inaccurate energy forecast.
Mr. Choeib Boutamine “Of course, this project (the Trans-Saharan pipeline) could be especially beneficial for Nigeria, Niger, Algeria, and Italy (since it could become a European gas hub), but it would be much less interesting for France, which will pay more for this gas than buyers in Italy”.
He said that thanks to the low price of Russian gas, Russia had supplied Europe with more than 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and if the Nord Stream 2 pipeline had been put into operation, deliveries could have reached 210 billion cubic meters per year; however, the golden age of low-cost resources is over for Europe.
