Together with our partners, we built the first underwater gas pipeline to link Algeria directly with Spain. The aim was to transport cleaner fossil fuels quickly and cheaply to consumers in southern Europe.
How did we do it?
Project MEDGAZ, is considered a Project of Common Interest by the European Union, as it is contributing to the security of energy supply, one of the most important challenges facing the energy sector.
The pipeline is 210 km long and can carry 8 billion cubic meters of gas per year and is the first pipeline in the Mediterranean to be more than 2,000 meters below sea level. Furthermore, this gas pipeline now enables us to send natural gas from Africa to Europe for the first time, directly from Algeria to Spain without transit through another country.
Around 900 million euro was invested in its development and more than 2,000 people participated in its construction. In April 2011, gas transport began, making Medgaz the most efficient way to transport gas from Algeria to Spain.
In addition to having led its construction, we have consistently operated the pipeline for more than nine years together with our partners.
The result
The Medgaz gas pipeline is known as one of the most important gas inlets in Spain. This is because it is the quickest and cheapest way to supply natural gas to southern Europe. The underwater pipeline is a key factor in the security of energy supply in Spain as well as in the export of gas from Algeria. This is due to the fact that it reinforces the importance of natural gas in the energy mix with its economic and environmental advantages.