Middle East Gas plays a vital role in European energy security
As Europe's gas imports are expected to double in the next 20 years to 500 billion cubic metres a year construction of new pipelines will be essential to ensure access to new gas producing regions such as the Caspian Sea as well as the Middle East in the longer term. Algeria already exports 95 per cent of its gas to Europe and is one of the continent's three main suppliers besides Russia and Norway. Planned pipeline projects from North Africa include the Medgaz and Galsi projects with the latter due to connect Algeria to the North of Italy via Sardinia. European Union funds have been allocated for construction of the $1.5 billion Medgaz, 200 kilometre sub-sea gas pipeline to connect Beni Saf in Algeria with Almeira in Spain.
The pipeline due to be completed in 2009 will pump gas from Algeria's Sonatrach and will be the second pipeline connecting the two countries after the Maghreb-Europe pipeline that runs via Morocco.
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