WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

1.3.1 Algeria
Kai Whiting, International Center on Small Hydro Power Currently around 280 MW installed hydropower
people with no access to electricity. 3 capacity is in operation (560 GWh/year), with plants of
Key facts
capacities between 1 and 50 MW (table). 4 In the period
Population 37,367,226 1
between 1971 and 2010, the average percentage
Area 2,381,741 km 2
contribution of hydropower to the total electricity
Climate Arid to semi-arid; mild, wet winters
production was four per cent. The highest value was
with hot, dry summers along coast;
registered in 1973 (26.8 per cent) and the lowest value
drier with cold winters and hot
in 2002 (2 per cent). 5 Hydropower is expected to
summers on high plateau; sirocco is a
account for 1.2-1.3 per cent of electricity generation by
hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially
2025. 6
common in summer.
Topography Consisting mostly of mountains, hills
Installed hydropower capacity in Algeria
Plant
and small plains along the coast
Capacity Date of commission
(MW)
(Year)
Rain Pattern Precipitation varies from over 1,200
Ighil Emda 24 1952
mm in the coastal basin to very little in
Darguinah 66 1952
the Sahara desert. 1
Erraguene 16 1962
Mansouriah 100 1963
Off irrigation channels or water
̴43
Electricity sector overview
flow
Algeria has the tenth largest reserves of natural gas in
Total 249
the world and is the sixth largest gas exporter. The
country exports to Europe through two gas pipelines: to
Source: Maghreb Electricity Committee 7
Note: a. Owner for all plants is Sonelgaz
Italy via Tunisia, and to Spain via Morocco. Three
additional pipelines, namely Medgaz, Galsi and Trans-
Saharan were in development as of 2011. 2
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
In light of the international small hydropower definition
of 10 MW upper limit capacities, there are at least 35.3
The Algerian Electricity Law in 2002 addresses that the MW of small hydropower plants installed in Algeria
country’s energy sector is incompatible with (figure 2). However the full installed capacity cannot be
international standards. Under this law the state–owned confirmed, since a sufficiently detailed list of
electricity and gas monopolist Société Nationale de hydropower plants was not available. The small
l'Électricité et du Gaz (Sonelgaz) unbundled its activities, hydropower potential is unknown.
and an independent regulatory body was established.
In 2010, total electricity generation was 45 TWh. Figure
SHP installed
35.3 MW
capacity
1 presents the electricity generation sources in the
country.
SHP potential unknow n
0 10 20 30 40
Hydro 0.38%
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Algeria
Diesel 0.89%
Steam
21.46%
Renewable energy policy
Gas
30.94%
The agency responsible for renewable energy is New
Not specified
46.33%
Energy Algeria (NEAL). Under the 2011 Renewable
Energy and Energy Efficiency National Programme for
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
the period between 2011 and 2030, the goal was to
generate 40 per cent of energy from renewable
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Algeria
resources. 9 This approximates an installed electricity
Source: Commission de Régulation de l’Électricité et du
Gaz 2
generation capacity of 22 GW: 12 GW for domestic use
and 10 GW for exports. 10
Note: Not specified - producers that are not Sonelgaz.
During this period the aim was to reach five per cent of
Over 90 per cent of the electricity production in Algeria
the national electricity supplied from concentrated solar
uses natural gas (the remaining 10 per cent comes from
power with thermal storage capacity. Algeria therefore
fuel oil/diesel and hydropower). Algeria has an
plans to install a total of 650 MW solar energy by 2015. 9
electrification rate of 99.3 per cent, leaving 200,000
11
81