Europe Turns to Africa for Energy Security Amid Global Shipping Disruptions
Europe's energy future is shifting towards African pipelines as global shipping lanes become increasingly unreliable. The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project, first conceptualized in the 1970s and revived due to Europe's energy crisis, aims to transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Nigeria through Niger and Algeria to the Mediterranean export terminals.
The Algerian state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach is managing the project, which has a total cost estimated at around $13 billion. Algeria is a key natural gas supplier to Europe, accounting for 14% of the EU's total gas imports in 2025.
The TSGP is not only important economically but also geopolitically as it strengthens the EU's diplomatic ties with its African partners and provides an alternative to traditional importers. The project has been revived due to growing European demand for alternatives to Russian and Middle Eastern gas supplies, Algeria's desire to secure its transit role, and rising tensions surrounding maritime routes.