Sonatrach and Wintershall Dea establish scientific and technical cooperation

Wintershall Dea and Sonatrach have signed an agreement for a Scientific and Technical Cooperation to develop innovative approaches and solutions for joint projects and extend their existing partnership, they said on Thursday.

The two companies will initiate a joint, long-term program to exchange knowledge and experience about topics associated with their core business and in the field of low-carbon energies, Wintershall Dea said. The future expert dialogue will focus on the role of natural gas for Algeria and beyond, as well as on topics around energy transition such as the use of hydrogen and CCS.

“The agreement is another example of Wintershall Dea’s strong and reliable partnership with Algeria and reflects our openness to knowledge exchange. The cooperation is a way for us to make a positive contribution to the development of Algeria’s energy sector, and future energy transition projects. These objectives can be better tackled together with partners”, Thomas Ruttmann, Managing Director for BU Algeria at Wintershall Dea, said in a statement.

The company said the strategic tie-up seeks to unlock significant opportunity in Algeria, which it said was a stable energy supplier for the region, and for Europe, and as a key player in the energy transition.

As the leading producer of natural gas in Africa, Algeria is a major energy exporter to Europe. In addition, Algeria has great potential for future energy production, including hydrogen, solar and wind power and carbon capture and storage. Wintershall Dea intends to grow and further develop its business in Algeria, and is working to identify potential new projects, the company said.

“Our partnership is characterized by trust and cooperation and we see the STC as further proof of a common path into the future, towards new technologies and opportunities. We strive for a fruitful exchange, dialogue at eye level and valuable incentives for low-carbon energies”, said Dawn Summers, Wintershall Dea’s Chief Operating Officer and responsible board member for the MENA region.

Wintershall Dea has been a partner in the Reggane Nord concession in the Sahara desert since 2002. The project is operated by the Groupement Reggane Nord (GRN), a consortium of project partners Sonatrach, Repsol and Wintershall Dea.