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Approach Words: Integrated City, Sustainability, Urban Resilience
Public Policy Instruments: Financial Mechanism, Infrastructure, Planning
The Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline (TransMed), also known as the Enrico Mattei Pipeline, is a major cross-border natural gas transportation infrastructure linking Algeria’s Hassi R’mel gas field to southern Italy, via Tunisia and Sicily.1 2 Spanning approximately 2,475 kilometers, TransMed is one of the largest and most strategic energy infrastructure projects in the Central Mediterranean, incorporating extensive onshore and offshore segments, including a technically complex crossing of the Sicilian Channel. 3
The project’s vision is to “enhance European energy security by diversifying gas import routes,” strengthening economic ties between North Africa and Southern Europe, and enabling the efficient monetization of Algeria’s substantial natural gas reserves. 4 5 TransMed aims to function as a long-term strategic corridor supporting stable gas supply to Italy and the wider European Union while reinforcing Algeria’s role as a key external gas supplier to European markets. 6
Title: Map of the major Algerian natural gas pipelines, including the TransMed and GME routes, connecting gas fields like Hassi R'Mel to export points in Europe.
Source: Click Here
Title: Map showing Italy's natural gas flow Bcm from January 1 to December 13, $2022$, detailing imports via pipelines (e.g., Algeria, Russia) and regasification LNG terminals.
Source: Click Here
Title: Industrial compressor or processing station for the proposed Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline (TSGP).
Source: Click Here
Title: Map of the major Algerian natural gas pipelines, including the TransMed and GME routes, connecting gas fields like Hassi R'Mel to export points in Europe.
Source: Click Here
Title: Map showing Italy's natural gas flow Bcm from January 1 to December 13, $2022$, detailing imports via pipelines (e.g., Algeria, Russia) and regasification LNG terminals.
Source: Click Here
Title: Industrial compressor or processing station for the proposed Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline (TSGP).
Source: Click Here
To implement the vision, the Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline extends over 2,475 kilometers, comprising approximately 550 kilometers in Algeria, 370 kilometers in Tunisia, 155 kilometers offshore across the Sicilian Channel, 355 kilometers through Sicily, and 1,055 kilometers across mainland Italy. 7 8 The project’s components include: 9 10
The pipeline entered operation with an initial transport capacity of 30.2 billion cubic meters per year, which was increased to 33.5 billion cubic meters per year by 2012 through system upgrades.17 More recent bilateral agreements between Algeria and Italy have targeted additional incremental capacity increases of approximately 9 billion cubic meters per year with anticipated completion between 2023 and 2024. 18
The project is managed and implemented by key stakeholders including Sonatrach (Algeria’s state oil and gas company), Sotugat (Tunisia’s pipeline company), and ENI (Italy’s energy corporation), with operational management handled by Transmed S.p.A . 19 20 Currently there are ongoing collaborative projects between Sonatrach and ENI through several mutual agreements, including one entered into in 2022 to increase gas supplies to Transmed. 21 Major construction and engineering phases were delivered by Saipem in collaboration with Snamprogetti, with compressor-station engineering support provided by SNAM.22
The first section of the pipeline became operational in 1983, with a second parallel line developed between 1991 and 1997 to expand capacity.23 24
Since commissioning, TransMed has served as a cornerstone of European gas supply, facilitating long-term natural gas flows from North Africa to European markets.
The project’s implementation was divided into phases:
The total investment for this project is $6.25 billions of which $2 billion is attributed to construction of the Algerian section, $0.95 billion for the construction of the Tunisian section and $1.5 billion for the crossing into Sicily. 27 28
Since commissioning, TransMed is fully operational and continues to function as the core component of Europe’s gas import infrastructure. 29 While originally developed as a conventional natural gas transport system, TransMed reflects long-term transition planning within Europe’s evolving energy goals. 30 31 Further, there is a potential future retrofitting of the pipeline for hydrogen transport, including possible integration into the SoutH2Corridor concept by 2030. 32
Project Link
https://www.transmed-spa.it/about-us.php?lg=2
Endnotes
References
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