Algeria and US Strengthen Energy Partnership to Export Turbines to African Markets
BLIDA – Sonatrach signed an agreement on Sunday in Blida with its American partner Baker Hughes regarding their Algesco subsidiary, which specializes in turbine repair and maintenance, with the aim of diversifying production to expand into the African market.
“It is important to diversify the production of the company that repairs and maintains turbines and compressors for Sonatrach and Sonelgaz industrial vehicles, with the aim of entering African markets,” said Sonatrach’s CEO Rachid Hachichi in a press statement during an inspection visit to the Algesco company, located in the Guerouaou industrial zone of Boufarik.
The visit was attended by the CEOs of Sonelgaz and the American company Baker Hughes, Mourad Adjal and Lorenzo Simonelli, respectively.
He added that “great importance” will be given to Algesco, which serves as an “important tool” for Sonatrach and Sonelgaz, in view of the maintenance and repair operations it carries out for their benefit,” he said, “a special development plan that will give it an international character and allow it to integrate African markets.”
For his part, Lorenzo Simonelli said that he was “happy” to be in Algeria, expressing his wish to “develop the partnership that unites the two countries in this field.”
This meeting “is part of the implementation of the instructions of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune,” who “encouraged Sonelgaz and Sonatrach to integrate the African market,” said the CEO of Sonelgaz, Mourad Adjal.
He emphasized having agreed, during this meeting with the American partner “Baker Hughes,” to diversify the production of this company through the manufacturing of gas turbines with an average capacity of 20, 30, and 50 MW, which are in “high demand” in the African market, noting that the company has received several requests from African countries, such as Burkina Faso, Niger, and Senegal.
“From this platform, we are preparing to effectively launch into the conquest of the African market,” he added.
The meeting allowed the executives of Sonatrach, Sonelgaz, and Baker Hughes, as partners in the Algesco subsidiary, “to carry out an inspection of the different workshops and to address, during a meeting organized on site, the development plan of this company,” reported a statement released by Sonatrach.
According to the statement, the CEO of Sonatrach and his counterpart from the American company Baker Hughes “reviewed the progress of the 3rd phase of the Hassi R’Mel field reinforcement project. They emphasized the importance of meeting the deadlines set for this strategic project.”
