Zouiwèche to Echorouk: “Medgaz” was Algeria’s blunder… and “Galsi” is best getaway to Europe

The former Chief Executive Officer of the national hydrocarbons group, SONATRACH, Nazim Zouiwèche, has dubbed the Algerian authorities’ recent decision to revive the solar power project “Desertic” as “good and wise”, but he affirmed that such a project came rather late and was supposed to be implemented once it was first initiated together with the German partners.

He also said that Algeria committed a grave error by heading for the project “Medgaz”, because it was considered to embark in the first place on the “Galsi” project which was planned to funnel Algerian gas supplies to the heart of Europe by putting Algeria as a result in a strong negotiating position.

Mr Nazim Zouiwèche emphasized in a statement to “Echorouk” that the “Desertic” solar power project which was announced a few years ago and left on the “backburner”, must now be clarified by the relevant authorities, adding that it is high time to rejuvenate this mega project for the smooth development of renewable energies, given that Algeria possesses one of the largest solar fields in the entire world.

With regard to the delayed “Galsi” gas pipeline project planned to connect Algeria to Italy via Sardinia, Mr Zouiwèche stressed that Algeria committed a big mistake by first engaging in the “Medgaz” gas pipeline project  linking Algeria directly with Spain, adding that the Sonatrach group could have been wiser to bank on the “Galsi” instead of the “Medgaz” on account of better spin-offs on the income and political fronts in the dealings with the energy-yearning European customers.