Arkab : « Algeria Will End Fuel Imports By The End Of 2024 »

Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab announced on Thursday from the Senate (Council of the Nation) that the government has put in place a plan to end fuel imports by the end of 2024.

During a plenary session in the senate devoted to oral questions, Arkab indicated that the construction of the Tiaret refinery will be started during the year 2020.

With the two other refineries planned in Hassi Messaoud and Biskra, Algeria will be able to achieve self-sufficiency in hydrocarbons.

These refineries will be built as part of a government plan for the period 2021-2024 aimed at ensuring national fuel supply in the medium and long term.

But also with a view to increasing the country’s capacity in the value-added petrochemical industry and to putting an end to imports in this field.

The Energy Minister pointed out that domestic fuel consumption has increased significantly from 5.6 million tons in 2000 to 14.4 million tons in 2019 with an annual growth rate of 5.1% during this period, which has prompted the country to import fuel from abroad.

“To meet domestic demand, the refineries in Algiers, Skikda and Arzew have been rehabilitated, which has made it possible to cover almost all the current domestic demand for gasoline, and an average rate of 84% for diesel”, the minister added.