Italy is looking to boost natural gas imports from Algeria following an agreement between the two nations to deepen energy collaboration, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated during her visit to Algiers.
During the visit, Meloni met with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as Italy contends with ongoing disruptions to liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from Qatar, which previously supplied around 10% of the nation’s annual gas needs, according to Reuters.
Meloni explained, “We have agreed to strengthen our cooperation, particularly through our national energy champions, Eni and Sonatrach, while also considering new ventures such as shale gas and offshore projects. In the long run, this will help increase gas flows from Algeria to Italy.”
Neither leader provided a specific schedule or detailed figures on how quickly the additional supplies could become available.
President Tebboune emphasized Algeria’s commitment to supporting Italy’s energy requirements, stating, “I want to underline Algeria’s readiness to honour its obligations to Italy as we navigate challenges in global oil and gas markets,” during a joint press briefing.
Italy has been actively pursuing alternative suppliers to compensate for reduced deliveries from Qatar. Last week, Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin confirmed that Rome is in discussions with several nations, including Algeria, to secure additional gas resources.
Algeria is already a major energy partner for Italy. In 2024, it supplied roughly 20 billion cubic metres of gas, representing about 30% of Italy’s overall consumption, with approximately half delivered under contracts between Sonatrach and Italy’s Eni.
Italy is not the only country increasing reliance on Algerian gas. Spain is also considering expanding pipeline imports from Algeria to secure supplies amid rising prices caused by the Middle East conflict.
Algeria was previously Spain’s largest gas supplier, but exports fell after a key pipeline route through Morocco was closed, forcing Madrid to depend more heavily on LNG shipments from major producers such as the United States and Qatar.