Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Italy has been pushing to cut its reliance on Russian gas supplies. Italian energy giant Eni and Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach have reached agreement to boost both gas exploration and the development of green hydrogen in the North African nation, as Rome seeks new ways to reduce its reliance on Russian hydrocarbons. Algeria, Italy’s second-biggest gas supplier last year after Russia, has been pumping Algerian gas to Italian shores since 1983 through the Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline, which runs to Sicily. Eni is the main international energy company operating in Algeria, where it has been present since 1981. In the race to cut Rome’s dependency on Russian gas, Italian ministers have tapped numerous countries, such as the Republic of Congo, Angola, Azerbaijan and Qatar.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 27, 2022 04:19 UTC