International
-DW News
Abuja,
July
29:
Algeria,
Niger
and
Nigeria
signed
a
memorandum
of
understanding
on
Thursday
to
build
a
4,000-kilometer
(2,500-mile)
Trans-Saharan
Gas
Pipeline.
Algeria’s
Energy
Ministry
said
the
natural
gas
pipeline
would
stretch
across
the
Sahara
desert.
It
is
estimated
that,
once
the
$13
billion
(€12.75
billion)
pipeline
is
complete,
it
will
transport
up
to
30
billion
cubic
meters
(1
trillion
cubic
feet)
of
gas
annually
from
Nigeria,
in
West
Africa,
north
through
Niger
and
on
to
Algeria.
From
there,
it
could
be
pumped
through
the
undersea
Trans-Mediterranean
Pipeline
to
Europe
or
loaded
onto
Liquefied
Natural
Gas
tankers
for
export.
Gas
pipeline
in
the
works
for
a
while
The
idea
was
first
proposed
more
than
40
years
ago,
but
progress
stalled.
The
new
momentum
comes
as
the
European
Union
seeks
to
wean
itself
off
Russian
gas
amid
the
war
in
Ukraine.
The
security
situation
in
the
Sahel
region
and
tensions
between
the
governments
of
Algiers
and
Niamey
also
delayed
the
project.
EU:
Need
for
solidarity
ahead
of
Russian
gas
crisis
It
wasn’t
until
2021,
when
Algeria
and
Niger
reopened
their
border,
that
discussions
to
construct
the
pipeline
restarted.
Earlier
this
week,
European
Union
member
states
agreed
to
reduce
gas
consumption
as
concerns
grow
that
Russia
might
cut
off
already
decreasing
deliveries.
European
Commission
President
Ursula
von
der
Leyen
had
said
the
deal
to
reduce
gas
use
is
about
preventing
Russia
from
being
able
to
blackmail
Europe
with
gas
deliveries,
to
stop
“Russia
using
gas
as
a
weapon,”
as
she
put
it.
Source: DW
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