Tunis/Tunisia — The deficit in the energy trade balance widened from 4,266 million dinars at the end of November 2020, to 5,055 MD at the end of November 2021, an increase of 18% (taking into account the royalty for exported gas), according to a report on the energy situation published by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energy.
Exports of energy products increased in value by 122%, while imports increased by 43%.
Imports of petroleum products in value increased by 53%, at the end of November 2021, compared to the same period. The same is true for imports of crude oil, which increased by 65% in quantity and 162% in value.
Purchases of Algerian gas decreased by 20% in quantity and 16% in value, at the end of November 2021, with the increase in national production and the fee on the transit of Algerian gas.
Exports of petroleum products increased by 24% in quantity and 107% in value.
Primary energy balance deficit down 13%
The primary energy balance shows a deficit of 4.1 Mtoe (Megatons of oil equivalent) at the end of November 2021, compared to a deficit of 4.8 Mtoe at the end of November 2020, i.e. a decrease of 13%. This decrease is due to the improvement of primary energy resources.
As for the energy independence rate, which represents the ratio of primary energy resources to primary consumption, it stood at 53% at the end of November 2021 against 42% during the same period of 2020.
Primary energy resources amounted to 4.7 Mtoe at the end of November 2021, showing an increase of 33% compared to the same period of the previous year. This increase is due to the growth of national oil and gas production and also to the Algerian gas transit fee which increased by 104%, compared to the same period of the previous year.
Primary energy resources remain dominated by domestic oil and gas production, which together contribute 77% of total primary energy resources.
The share of Algerian gas has almost doubled in the space of a year, its share having increased from 12% to 19%. The share of renewable electricity (STEG production only) remains low and represents only 1% of primary resources.
As for the demand for primary energy, it increased by 6% between the first eleven months of 2020 and those of 2021, rising from 8.3 Mtoe to 8.8 Mtoe. The demand for natural gas increased by 5% and that for petroleum products by 9%.
