Algeria’s state utility Société Nationale de l’Electricité et du Gaz (Sonelgaz) plans to spend AD7.287 trillion ($96bn) on electricity and gas infrastructure over 2013-23, according to a 10 June Algérie Presse Service (APS) report. The company invested AD233.2bn ($3.07bn) in 2012, up 8.3% on 2011. Sonelgaz generated a total 54.09 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2012, said APS, up 10.7% on 2011.
Sonelgaz says Algeria’s total generating capacity rose to 12.977gw by end-2012 from 11.392gw at end-2011. The company noted that maximum demand on the Algerian transmission grid reached 9.777gw last year, up 13.6% on 2011’s previous record. Power outages led to violent protests in Southeast Algeria last summer, prompting Minister of Energy and Mines Yousef Yousfi to promise an increase of 2.8gw in available capacity in summer 2013 (MEES, 29 March). (CONTINUED - 275 WORDS)
