Mustapha Guitouni: “Transferring Cars To Sirghaz Will Reduce The Cost Of Importing Fuel”

Algeria achieved during the third millennium more than double of what it achieved since independence, Energy and Mines Minister, Mustapha Guitouni said during his visit to Telemcen (western Algeria), on Sunday.

“Transferring cars to Sirghaz by 2020 will reduce the cost of imports. What was achieved in the gas sector since the beginning of the year 2000 is more than double of what Algeria achieved since independence by linking tens of thousands of houses with natural gas. As for electricity, Algeria’s coverage in early 2000 reached 50%, while coverage reaches 78% currently”.

Guitouni praised the great efforts that were made to reach these figures, revealing that no country in the world guarantees electricity and gas coverage rates such as Algeria does.

“Many countries in the world have 400 MW of electricity, while Algeria completed between 2000 and 2017 more than 14.000 MW”. 

Energy Minister talked about Algeria’s import of fuel, asserting that Algeria consumed, to the beginning of the third millennium, over 210.000 barrels of oil per day, before reaching 425.000 barrels per day in 2016, after the entry of half a million cars to Algeria.

“Refineries of Arziew and Skikda operate with the capacity of 11.5 tons per year, while Algeria consumes 15 million tons a year, which made the Ministry betting on converting the largest number of cars to the system of Sirgaz, especially since the import cost reaches 3 million and costs Algeria two billion dollars annually, revealing that the project to transfer cars to Sirghaz by 2020 will reduce the cost of imports.