The two countries are deepening a partnership already worth 30 percent of Italy’s annual gas consumption
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni travelled to Algiers on Wednesday to deepen energy ties with Algeria, as Rome scrambles to replace liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies disrupted by Iran’s attacks on Qatar’s primary export facility.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the El Mouradia Presidential Palace, Meloni said the two countries had agreed to strengthen their partnership through their national energy companies, Italy’s Eni and Algeria’s Sonatrach.
“We have decided to strengthen our very solid cooperation, including by working on new fronts such as offshore gas, and this will allow us to strengthen gas flows,” Meloni told reporters. Tebboune, in turn, reaffirmed Algeria’s readiness to honour all commitments, describing Italy as “a strategic and reliable partner.”
The visit was prompted by a deepening supply crisis. Qatar invoked force majeure on its long-term contracts after Iran’s strikes on the Ras Laffan LNG complex, eliminating a source that had covered roughly 10 percent of Italy’s annual gas imports. Italy generates more than 40 percent of its electricity from natural gas, making diversification a matter of national economic security.
Algeria is already central to Italy’s energy supply chain. In 2024, Algeria delivered around 20 billion cubic metres of gas to Italy, approximately 30 percent of the country’s annual consumption, with roughly half flowing under contracts between Sonatrach and Eni. The TransMed pipeline, which has linked the two countries since the 1980s, forms the backbone of that relationship.
However, closing the gap left by Qatar will not be straightforward. Experts note that while Algeria has some capacity to increase LNG shipments, it produces only about half as much liquefied gas as Qatar, and new offshore or extraction projects typically require years to develop. Neither leader offered a timeline for when increased flows might materialise.
The energy talks unfolded against a broader strategic backdrop. Bilateral trade between Italy and Algeria reached nearly €13 billion in 2025, and the two sides also discussed migration cooperation, the deteriorating situation across the Sahel, and instability in Libya.
Italy is not alone in its pursuit of Algerian gas. Spain is also seeking to increase pipeline imports from Algeria as it looks to offset surging prices driven by the war in the Middle East, placing fresh competitive pressure on a supplier whose export capacity has structural limits.
