Italy has the third-largest Natural Gas transmission system in Europe. According to Snam, the system consists of 19,000 miles of pipelines carrying over 2.7 Tcf of natural gas per year. Italian law guarantees open and nondiscriminatory access to the system.

Most of Italy's natural gas imports enter the country through international pipelines. The 670-mile Trans-Mediterranean (Transmed, also called Enrico Mattei) line runs from the Hassi R'Mel gas field in Algeria to Sicily, via Tunisia, where it interfaces with the domestic gas network. Completed in 1983 and doubled in 1994, Transmed has a capacity of 2.332 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d).

 

There are plans to construct an additional compressor station along the Transmed that could increase capacity to 3.48-Bcf/d. The Trans-European Pipeline (TENP) and the Transitgas pipeline bring natural gas from northern Europe (mostly the Netherlands and Norway) into Italy, entering the country at the Passo Gries transit point near Milan. Italy imports natural gas from Russia at two entry points: via the Trans-Austrian Gas Pipeline (TAG) at Tarvisio, and via Slovenia at Gorizia.

In October 2004, natural gas flowed for the first time through the Greenstream pipeline linking Mellitah, Libya to Gela, Sicily. In order to comply with Italian energy regulations, Eni has agreed to sell all gas supplied by Greenstream to other natural gas companies.

 

In 2002, Algeria's Sonatrach signed a deal with Italy's Enel and Germany's Wintershall to form Galsi, a consortium to build another natural gas pipeline from Algeria to Italy. Current plans call for an onshore pipeline from Gassi R'Mel to El Kal, Algeria, then an underwater section to Cagliari, Sardinia. This is to be followed by an onshore section to Olbia, Sardinia, then a final, offshore pipeline to C.D.

 

Pescaia, Italy. Galsi estimates initial capacity on the 910-mile line will be 770-990 Mmcf/d, and there are plans for a parallel power cable. The $2 billion project could be completed by 2008.