Italy, which generates more than 40% of its electricity from natural gas according to the International Energy Agency, has been negotiating with various countries to replace lost LNG supplies from Qatar.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said during a visit to Algeria on Wednesday that the two countries would work together towards "increasing deliveries of Algerian gas" to the EU member state.
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"We have decided to reinforce our already very solid cooperation through our national champions," Meloni said, referring to Italian energy major ENI and Algeria's Sonatrach.
"The relationship between our nations has never been so strong," Meloni said at a press conference in Algiers.
The two would work together on projects including shale gas extraction and offshore exploration, she said at a press conference alongside Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Algeria provides around 30% of Italy's natural gas, mainly via the TransMed subsea pipeline.
That pipeline is already at full capacity, experts said, although Algeria also sends shipments of liquefied natural gas.
Italy, which generates more than 40% of its electricity from natural gas according to the International Energy Agency, has been negotiating with various countries to replace lost LNG supplies from Qatar.
Qatar, which shut down production after Iran repeatedly attacked its major LNG site, usually provides around 10% of Italy's gas imports.
Experts told the AFP news agency that Algeria had some capacity to increase its LNG shipments, but nothing on a scale that could replace Qatar.
The North African country, a key supplier to several EU members including Spain, produces only half as much LNG as the tiny Gulf state.
Building new extraction and export capacity, especially offshore projects, can take years.
On the war in Iran which has disrupted global oil and gas supplies, Meloni said that "if it were to drag on, it could have significant economic and social consequences for vulnerable countries in Africa."
Strong relations
"The trip was not organised yesterday, but almost two months ago. Giorgia Meloni was invited by the president of Algeria during a call on 3 February,” Aldo Liga, a researcher at Ispi's Middle East and North Africa Observatory, told Euronews.
According to Liga, solid relations between Italy and Algeria are reflected in the trade figures, which he says increased by almost 14% in 2025, as part of Italy's effort to improve relations with the African continent thanks to the Mattei Plan.
There are alternatives open to Italy for the gas that can no longer be imported from Qatar, Lido says.
“If we need to replace this 10% that Qatar can no longer supply, we can increase the arrival of liquefied natural gas...we can try as far as possible to increase from Algeria, but also encourage an increase from Azerbaijan,' he suggests.
But Lido argues that the shortfall in gas supplies doesn’t paint a particularly gloomy picture for the country, given decreasing consumption of gas by Italians.
"We need it less and less because the demand for gas in Italy since 2021 has decreased by 19%," he points out.