Algeria has launched construction of its section of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP), marking a key milestone in one of Africa's most ambitious cross-border energy infrastructure projects aimed at linking West African gas resources to European markets.

The announcement was made during the fifth ministerial meeting of the Steering Committee for the TSGP project, held in Algiers and attended by energy ministers from Algeria, Nigeria and Niger, among others.

Algerian Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons Mohamed Arkab said he and his counterparts reaffirmed their countries' commitment to close cooperation for the project's success.

The TSGP is planned to stretch approximately 4,128 kilometers, transporting up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria's Mediterranean coast, where it would be exported to Europe.

Officials say the project is expected to enhance regional energy integration, improve energy security and open new export routes for African gas producers at a time of rising global demand and shifting energy supply chains.