Post #555

Trans-Saharan GasRush📈 Why is a long-stalled megaproject in West Africa being revived, and what does Russia have to do with it? 🇩🇿🌐 🇳🇪 Algeria’s active efforts to restore ties with West African countries are beginning to bear their sweet fruits. During today’s visit to Algeria, Nigerien President and his Algerian counterpart not only agreed to reboot relations but also remembered the famous Trans-Saharan gas pipeline. Relations between the two countries had cooled earlier when Algerian air defenses shot down a Malian drone? but now they are apparently mending. ⏩ Calling for abandonment of old grievances, at a joint press conference the Algerian president chose to emphasize what unites the two countries: Islam and the stalled Trans-Saharan gas pipeline project from Nigeria to Algeria via Niger: 💬We have agreed to begin construction of the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline, running through the territory of <…> Niger, immediately after Ramadan. We have written about this 4,000-kilometer megaproject, designed to transport gas from Nigeria to Europe. It has been announced many times but never started. Now, Algeria’s Sonatrach is set to begin laying the pipeline in Niger as early as late March — right after Ramadan. ⁉️ But why is Algeria rushing so much, and why, above all, revive the $13 billion project fraught with high risks due to Niger’s political situation? 🇷🇺 Most likely, gas suppliers from Nigeria and their intermediaries at Sonatrach are counting on Europe’s increased demand for gas. On January 26, the EU approved a bill to completely phase out Russian gas in 2027. Clearly, Nigerian gas producers and Algerian middlemen are hoping to cash in on the newly vacant market. Niger, of course, will also receive fees for gas transit. ➡️ Stay informed - @devilsbelow