GALSI

History

The feasibility study was completed in 2005. The intergovernmental agreement on the GALSI pipeline was signed between Italy and Algeria on 14 November 2007.

Early in 2008 one of the project founders, Wintershall, sold its share to other shareholders and left the project.

In 2007, while surveying the proposed route between Sardinia and Algeria, sonar data from an Underwater Autonomous Vehicle revealed a large wreck, later determined to be the French battleship Danton, sunk in 1917.

Route

The pipeline would have started from the Hassi R'mel field in Algeria and the 640 kilometres (400 mi) section would have run to Koudiet Draouche at the coast of Mediterranean Sea. The 285 kilometres (177 mi) offshore section with two legs would have been laid between Koudiet Draouche and Porto Botte (CI), Sardinia. The Sardinian section would have been planned approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) from the south to Olbia. The offshore section between Sardinia and Italian mainland is 280 kilometres (170 mi) and the landfall would have been Piombino (LI). It would have been connected to the existing Italian gas grid in Tuscany.

The exact offshore route would have been selected by Dutch engineering contractor Fugro by July 2008.

Technical features

The pipeline diameter would vary between 22 and 48 inches (560 and 1,220 mm). The initial capacity would have been 8 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per annum. Total estimated costs of project are €2 billion. The pipeline is expected to become operational in 2014. The Italian section will be built by Snam Rete Gas.

Project company

The project company Galsi S.p.A. was incorporated on 29 January 2003 in Milan. The current shareholders of Galsi are:

According to the agreement between Sonatrach and Russian Gazprom, it would have been possible for Gazprom to have a stake in the Galsi pipeline.