Algeria will stop importing diesel in 2015 through the rehabilitation of its refineries which will be operating at full capacity by this date, Sonatrach group announced Tuesday.
"In the first half of 2014, we have imported 300,000 tonnes of gasoil. By the end of the year and from 2015, imports will stop through the full operation of the refinery of Skikda and Arzew" a source within the oil group told APS.
Also, the first half of this year witnessed a significant decline in imports of diesel, despite the increase in domestic demand, which puts an end to the previous levels that brushed two million tonnes per year.
In 2012, Sonatrach imported about 2 million tonnes of diesel and 500,000 tons of gasoline.
Recourse to imports was necessary due to the need to fill the gap created by the shutdown for maintenance and renovation of the refineries of Algiers, Skikda and Arzew, the same source said.
The consumption of diesel, fuel prized for its low price and for its multiple uses in industry and agriculture, exploded in recent years, driven in particular by a dramatic growth in the number of vehicles which increased from 2.9 to 5.5 million from 2000 to 2013.