Tunisia’s Energy and Mines Minister Mongi Marzouk revealed that he is undertaking official deliberations with his Algerian counterpart, Mohamed Arkab, to speed up the drafting and signing of a new gas deal.
It is noteworthy that Algerian gas supplies two-thirds of Tunisia’s consumption.
Marzouk, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, said that Tunisian-Algerian economic talks were “very positive,” and involved renewable energy as well as oil, gas and electricity distribution between Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya.
Current Tunisian-Algerian talks also tackled improving the conditions for supplying Libya with electricity produced in southern Tunisia.
Among the current efforts and ideas for improving Libya’s energy supply is the construction of a large power station near the industrial port of Skhira (200 km from the Tunisian-Libyan border). Initially, the energy output will be directed to Libya and then branch out to the rest of the Northwest African region.
Marzouk also revealed that Tunisian-Algerian talks on developing the partnership between the two countries in the hydrocarbons, electricity and renewable energy sectors had advanced a while ago.
According to the minister, it is expected that the two countries will sign a new energy contract that extends until 2030. The validity of the old contract expired last December, and it was temporarily renewed for two months.
The new contract is believed to include reduced preferential prices.
As for the Nawara Development Project, which is expected to produce a third of Tunisia’s gas consumption, Marzouk said the gas field is located in the African country’s far east and was set to produce around two million cubic meters. The project, however, faced some technical challenges that led to halving its production, Marzouk noted.
“A British institution was invited to solve these technical problems, but the coronavirus pandemic and the decision to close airports and impose quarantine on travelers arriving from abroad caused a delay in technical intervention by British engineers,” he added, noting that the reparation process will now take place remotely.
