Germany’s recent energy agreements with Algeria, including pledging to buy its pipeline natural gas for the first time, are part of a broader strategy by Berlin to coax Algiers into a larger future commitment to renewable energy, according to one expert who spoke to Al-Monitor.
On Feb. 8, Algeria and Germany signed a contract tying state-owned gas producer Sonatrach to Leipzig-based gas trader VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH, a subsidiary of the VNG AG group, marking the first time the European country has procured gas from the North African nation.
The pipeline agreement was signed during a visit by a German delegation to Algiers led by Economy Minister Robert Habeck. No more details were given about the agreement.
Also on that visit, Algeria and Germany agreed to form a task force to increase green hydrogen development as European countries scramble for sustainable energy to power their green transition.
