Cut off by Hormuz Closure, Italy Seeks Gas Security in Algeria

By Al Mayadeen English

23 Mar 2026 22:25

Italian PM Meloni heads to Algeria to secure gas supplies after Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz blocks Qatari LNG exports, hitting Italy's energy imports.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is preparing to visit Algeria in an attempt to secure alternative gas supplies after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz severed Qatar's ability to export LNG, forcing Doha to scale back contractual commitments to several countries, including Italy.

The visit underscores Rome's deepening pivot toward North Africa as a cornerstone of its energy security strategy, and the urgency that the Hormuz closure has injected into that effort.

For Italy, which had relied on Qatar for roughly 10% of its gas needs, the disruption is a manageable but keenly felt blow. The broader impact on global energy markets has been severe, with gas prices rising sharply and placing additional strain on European economies already navigating a difficult post-Ukraine energy transition.

What makes the timing particularly sensitive is that Rome had only recently stabilised its energy picture after years of effort to wean itself off Russian gas following the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022, a process that saw Algerian imports fill much of the gap left by Moscow.

Algeria: Italy's indispensable energy anchor

Algeria now supplies around 30% of Italy's total gas needs, delivered via the TransMed pipeline, also known as the Enrico Mattei pipeline, which has carried Algerian gas through Tunisia and under the Mediterranean to Sicily since the 1980s.

By 2023, Algerian supplies had reached 25.5 billion cubic metres, valued at approximately $14 billion, while Russian volumes had collapsed from 29 bcm in 2021 to just 2.9 bcm.

By 2024, trade between Algeria and Italy had reached a total value of $15.9 billion, with Algeria accounting for around 36% of total Italian gas imports via pipeline. Italy, in turn, became the largest export market for Algerian gas delivered through pipelines, with a share exceeding 40%.

Europe diversifies, Italy leads

Meloni's visit takes place against the backdrop of a broader European scramble to reduce dependence on supply chains now exposed as fragile. Italy is holding parallel talks with the United States and Azerbaijan to cover the shortfall.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline already brings Azerbaijani gas to Italy, currently supplying about 10% of its needs, with the potential to supply up to 25%. New LNG regasification infrastructure has also expanded Italy's capacity to receive cargoes from suppliers outside the Gulf.

Italy has been positioning itself as the Mediterranean's new gas hub, with pipelines from Azerbaijan, Libya, and Algeria bringing gas to its shores, alongside floating storage and regasification units enabling additional imports from Egypt. This infrastructure position gives Rome both a national energy lifeline and a potential transit role for European partners.