MILAN (AP) — Italian Premier Mario Draghi travels to Algeria on Monday to sign a deal for more natural gas, the latest push by a European Union country to acquire alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia is Italy’s biggest supplier, representing 40% of total imports, followed by Algeria, which provides some 21 billion cubic meters of gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline. The new deal would add an additional 9 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria, just eclipsing Russia’s 29 billion cubic meters a year.
Europe is trying to cut its reliance Russian natural gas imports quickly, with leaders recognizing that their payments help fund Moscow’s war. At the same time, there is concern Russia might turn off the taps in reprisal for sanctions, a threat that would have devastating effects on the European economy. Natural gas is used to generate electricity, heat and cool homes and power industry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already sought to have gas payments be made in rubles, in an apparent bid shore up the currency.
The tiny Baltic state of Lithuania, a former Soviet republic, recently cut itself off entirely from Russian gas imports, the first of the European Union’s 27 nations using Russian gas to break its energy dependence on Moscow.
Lithuania has been planning that move for years, and the task is more difficult for economic powers like Germany and Italy, which have gotten most of their natural gas from Russia.
The deal between Italy and Algeria is the first concrete result of missions by Italy’s foreign minister to energy-producing nations to secure alternate sources, also including Azerbaijan, Qatar, Congo, Angola and Mozambique.
Draghi is traveling with Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the energy transition minister, Roberto Cingolani, and the CEO of Italian energy company Eni, Claudio Descalzi.
Eni announced a significant oil and gas discovery in Algeria last month and said it would work with Algerian partner Sonatrach to fast-track its development for the third quarter of this year. Eni has operated in Algeria for more than 40 years.
