Historically, Algeria has been a significant player in the global natural gas market. In 2009, it was the fifth-largest exporter of natural gas, with a net export of 55 billion cubic meters (bcm), trailing behind Russia (169 bcm), Norway (100 bcm), Canada (76 bcm), and Qatar (67 bcm). That year, Algeria was also ranked as the seventh-largest natural gas producer globally, producing 81 bcm, with the top producers being the USA (594 bcm), Russia (589 bcm), and Canada (159 bcm).[10]
Algeria possessed seven basins of undeveloped shale gas by 2020, totaling 3,419 trillion cubic feet. Of this amount, approximately 707 trillion cubic feet are technically recoverable with existing technology, positioning Algeria''s recoverable shale gas reserves as the third largest globally, following China and Argentina.[13][14]
Algeria is a member of OPEC and was the seventh-largest oil products exporter in 2008, accounting for less than 11% of the world''s oil exports.[10] That year, the total global exports included 1,952 million tons of crude oil and 411 million tons of oil products. Prominent oil fields in Algeria include Hassi Messaoud, Ourhoud, and Rhourde El Baguel. As of 2022, the country produces approximately one million barrels of crude oil per day.
The country holds an estimated 12.2 billion barrels of proved crude oil reserves as of early 2023, producing high-quality, light, sweet crude oil with very low sulfur content, primarily the Sahara blend from Hassi Messaoud. Despite these high-grade reserves, Algeria faces challenges in attracting new investment to its aging oil fields, leading to difficulties in maintaining production levels.[15]
In response, the Algerian government introduced a hydrocarbons law in December 2019 to attract international investment by reducing taxes and simplifying the legal framework for upstream activities. Additionally, Sonatrach, the state-owned oil company, operates all national refineries and has begun construction on three new refineries—Hassi Messaoud, Biskra, and Tiaret—expected to begin operations within the next five years.[15]
Natural gas was the predominant source of electricity generation, accounting for 99% of the total electricity production which amounted to 85,390 GWh. This significant dependence on natural gas is echoed in the growth of electricity production, which saw a 236% increase from 2000 to 2021.
Significant reforms in hydrocarbons and investment laws since 2020 have improved the investment environment in Algeria, enabling it to attract deals with global energy companies like Equinor, Eni, and Occidental Petroleum. These reforms, designed to foster both domestic and foreign investment, reflect Algeria''s broader strategy to diversify its energy portfolio and sustain its economic growth by leveraging its energy resources more efficiently and responsibly.[5]
Algeria has the highest technical and economical potential for solar power exploitation in the MENA region, with a potential of around 170 TWh per year.[23] The first industrial scale solar thermal power project has been initiated by inauguration of Hassi R''Mel power station in 2011. This new hybrid power plant combines a 25-megawatt (MW) concentrating solar power array in conjunction with a 130 MW combined cycle gas turbine plant.
In addition, Algeria has launched in 2011 a national program to develop renewable energy based on photovoltaics (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP) and wind power, and to promote energy efficiency. The program consists of installing up to 12 GW of power generating capacity from renewable sources to meet the domestic electricity demand by 2030.[24]
In 2023, Algeria launched a bid for the construction of 15 solar power plants across the country, each with a generation capacity of 80-220 MW, and a total capacity of 2,000 MW for the entirety of the project, with construction set to begin in 2024.[25][26]
To ensure Algeria diversifies its energy sources in preparation for the post-oil era, nuclear energy is the only energy source that could replace oil and gas, as its raw material is abundant in the country and just needs to be utilized.[29]
Since 1995 Algeria operates research reactors at Draria and Aïn Oussera. It signed nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia in January 2007, with the United States in June 2007, and with China in March 2008.[30][31] Algeria has discussed nuclear cooperation also with France.
For many years, Algeria has invested in nuclear technology. It has two nuclear reactors: the Draria nuclear reactor on the heights of Algiers with a capacity of 3 megawatts (MW), built by the Argentinians in 1984, and the Aïn Oussara reactor, located 250 km south of Algiers, built by the Chinese with a capacity of 15 MW. These two reactors are regularly inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of which Algeria is a member.[32]
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