Several European countries seek more Algerian gas before winter

The Czech Republic, Germany, Spain and Italy want more Algerian gas before winter 2026-2027, as low European stocks and high prices drive the requests, Algérie 360 reported.

European gas stocks remain low, and prices have risen sharply. At the end of October, one megawatt hour was trading at about 90 dollars on the Dutch benchmark market.

Supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar have also suffered from tensions in the Middle East. Europe has turned away from Russian gas since 2022. Algeria's pipelines to Italy and Spain have become major assets. Algeria remains Africa's largest gas exporter.

Who wants more gas?

The Czech Republic wants to double its purchases, from 200 million to 400 million cubic metres a year. Prague expressed this aim during a visit to Algiers by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on 26 and 27 October.

The state energy company Sonatrach has confirmed that it discussed possible extensions of a contract signed with ČEZ in 2024. This doubling is still a Czech aim, not a contractual commitment.

Its own calculations show that an extra 200 million cubic metres would be less than 0.5% of Algeria's exports in 2025.

Germany has already gone further. Sonatrach and the German group VNG signed a supply contract on 16 July 2026, which raises deliveries to Germany from 1 January 2027. The volumes have not been made public.

Spain is discussing higher volumes through the Medgaz pipeline, which links the two countries directly. Medgaz carries about 28 million cubic metres a day, with a possible rise to 32 million.

The Spanish foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, raised the subject during his visit to Algiers at the end of March 2026. Its own calculations put the possible extra volume at about 1.5 billion cubic metres a year. No final agreement has been announced.

Italy, Algeria's main European customer, is also seeking extra volumes. Algerian gas already covers about 30% of its consumption.

Italian head of government Giorgia Meloni visited Algiers on 25 March 2026 to ask for more gas. Italy wants to make up for lost Qatari LNG, which covered about 10% of its needs.

Middle East tensions have interrupted those Qatari deliveries, which could be missing for several years. Algerian pipeline deliveries to Italy rose 4% in the first half of 2026.

Algeria supplied 33.9% of Spain's gas imports in the first half of 2026, ahead of the United States.

France has also reportedly asked for extra oil and LNG deliveries, according to the specialist platform Attaqa.

What limits exports?

LNG remains the weak point of Algeria's supply, because it is already committed to other customers. The most realistic European requests therefore concern gas delivered by pipeline.

The main limit, however, is the domestic market. Algerian gas consumption reached a record 57.27 billion cubic metres in 2025, up 8.9% on a year earlier.

Gas supplies almost 99% of the country's electricity.