Continental Focus, International Reach

Algeria to export petrol from 2021

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Algeria’s refinery upgrading and modernization projects will allow the country to export petrol from 2021, said the general manager of the Algiers refinery, Hassen Boukhalfa, on Monday, according to the Algeria Press Service.

Algeria, which produced nearly 2.7 million tonnes of petrol in 2019, had to import this fuel to meet the needs of the national market, which is around 4 million tonnes, but with the ramp-up of the refineries’ capacities. north which have been the subject of rehabilitation in recent years, the country should reach self-sufficiency in 2020 and produce surpluses intended for export from 2021, explains the same official.

Production capacities will further increase with the commissioning of the new refinery at Hassi Messaoud (Ouargla) in 2024, said Mr. Boukhalfa at the inauguration ceremony for the new facilities of the Algiers refinery, held in the presence of the Prime Minister, Abdelaziz Djerad.

According to SONATRACH forecasts, Algeria should produce around 7 million tonnes in 2026, including 2 million tonnes intended for foreign markets, he added. As for diesel, Algeria will continue to import this type of fuel until 2023, before starting its first exports in 2024 with the start-up of the Hassi Messaoud refinery.

In 2019, Algerian diesel production exceeded 8.5 million tonnes while its consumption was more than 10 million tonnes. This pattern is not expected to change much over the next four years, but in 2024 domestic production will increase significantly to around 12.5 million tonnes.

Algerian refineries will continue to produce surpluses in 2025 and 2026 with 4 million tonnes devoted to export among the 16 million tonnes produced locally, according to data presented by Mr. Boukhalfa. (APS)


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