Algeria And Tunisia Strengthen Energy Cooperation
Algeria and Tunisia signed agreements earlier this month aimed at enhancing bilateral energy cooperation. The Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines Chakib Khelil and his Tunisian counterpart Afif Chelbi signed the minutes of a joint committee meeting that they co-chaired, on 2 July, which envisaged raising the electric power interconnection capacity up to 400kv next year, from 220kv now. The minutes also included plans to double LPG exports to Tunisia to 300,000 tons/year and to look at ways of developing gas storage capacity in Tunisia, which would help Algeria to market gas locally or export it to neighboring Mediterranean countries, according to Algerian state media. Dr Khelil said the two countries could also cooperate in the development and marketing of Tunisian gas discoveries. The two state energy firms Sonatrach and ETAP formed the Numhyd joint venture in 2003 to focus on E&P activities in Algeria and Tunisia, and signed a number of concession agreements in April last year that enlarged the scope of its activities (MEES, 5 May 2008).
Copyright MEES 2009.
