Algeria, Nigeria and Niger start construction of gas pipeline to Europe with capacity of 30 bcm/y

Algeria, Nigeria and Niger are advancing the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project with a capacity of up to 30 bcm of natural gas per year for supplies to European markets.

The planned 4,128 km route is expected to connect Nigeria’s gas fields with Algeria’s existing export infrastructure. Gas will be transported via Niger to Algeria, where it could enter pipelines and export terminals serving European consumers.

According to Business Insider, construction has already started on the Algerian section of the pipeline. It is expected to stretch for about 1,210 km from the border with Niger. Niger plans to start construction of its section, about 720 km long, in early 2027.

The pipeline is expected to run from the city of Warri in southern Nigeria to the Hassi R’Mel gas hub in Algeria, one of the largest gas fields in the world and a key center of the country’s energy system. Algeria currently accounts for about 12% of EU gas imports. The project is being implemented amid the European Commission’s plans to stop importing Russian gas by 2027 and Europe’s search for additional suppliers and routes.

The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline also competes with the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, which is planned along the Atlantic coast of West Africa. For both projects, financing, security risks and infrastructure constraints remain key challenges.