Algeria’s Sonatrach on 17 February awarded an AD25bn ($178mn) EPC contract to China’s Sinopec for the replacement of two LNG storage tanks at the Skikda terminal with a new 150,000 cubic meter tank. Sonatrach says the project will raise LNG storage capacity and increase “associated removal volumes.” Work is expected to take 40 months.
Skikda accounts for 4.5mn t/y of Algeria’s 25.5mn t/y LNG liquefaction capacity, which remains massively underutilized. Total Algeria exports came in at 11.99mn tons last year with Skikda accounting for 3.24mn tons of this, according to data intelligence firm Kpler. Skikda was forced to shut down for 45 days last year following a “sudden failure of a gas turbine control mechanism” (MEES, 25 June 2021). (CONTINUED - 131 WORDS)
