Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline, Gas pipeline network in Sicily and mainland Italy
The Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline is a gas transport network running from Algeria through Tunisia and Sicily to mainland Italy and Slovenia. The system moves natural gas from North African sources to European destinations using multiple parallel lines of varying sizes beneath the Mediterranean Sea and overland routes.
The pipeline was built following major international negotiations, with construction beginning in 1978 and the first section completed in 1983. A second expansion phase in the 1990s doubled the system's capacity to move gas across the region.
The pipeline system represents a major collaboration between North African and European energy sectors, connecting multiple nations through shared infrastructure management.
The system operates through compressor stations at key locations in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, and mainland Italy that maintain steady gas flow. This is an operational energy infrastructure that is not open to public access, though some sections are visible from certain viewpoints.
The pipeline crosses the Mediterranean Sea floor using multiple parallel underwater sections that handle extreme pressure and depth conditions. This underwater engineering achievement represents one of the most technically demanding energy infrastructure projects connecting Europe to North Africa.
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