Exports of Tunisian energy products have seen an increase in value by 126%, coupled with an increase in imports in value by 21%, said the monthly energy outlook report by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines released Thursday.
According to the same source, the deficit of the energy trade balance has decreased by 9% during the first 8 months of 2021 compared to the same period last year. It went from 3426 MDT during the first eight months of 2020 to 3135 MDT during the first eight months of 2021, down 9% (taking into account the royalty of exported transit gas).
The domestic demand for petroleum products recorded an increase of 10% to 2983 thousand tons oil equivalent (ktoe), at the end of August 2021, compared to the same period last year.
This increase is due mainly to the lifting of general lockdown measures taken by the government last year. Thus, the demand for gasoline increased by 7% and diesel by 12%.
Similarly, the consumption of road fuels, which accounts for 64% of total consumption of petroleum products, increased by 11% at the end of August 2021 compared to the end of August 2020. LPG consumption grew 2% between the end of August 2021 and the end of August 2020.
On the other hand, kerosene consumption fell by 9% during the same period.
The consumption of petroleum coke (used exclusively by cement factories) went up by 19%, while the consumption of aviation jet saw an increase of 8% at the end of August 2021, compared to the same period of the previous year.
The primary energy deficit decreased by 13% at the end of August 2021, to 3 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) against a deficit of 3.5 Mtoe, recorded at the end of August 2020, counting the Algerian gas royalty.
Rate of energy independence rises to 53%
According to the monthly energy outlook report, “the energy independence rate, which represents the ratio of primary energy resources to primary consumption, stood at 53% during the first eight months of 2021 compared to 43% during the first eight months of 2020.
The rate of energy independence would be limited to 43% against 39%, without accounting for the royalty.
The easing of the primary energy balance deficit is due to the improvement of primary energy resources, which stood at 3.45 Mtoe at the end of August 2021, recording an increase compared to the same period of the previous year of 33%.
“This rise is due to the increase in the domestic production of oil, gas and also the royalty of passage of Algerian gas which went up more than 150% during the first eight months of 2021 compared to the same period of the previous year.”
The primary energy resources remain dominated by domestic production of oil and gas which both participate in 77% of the total primary energy resources.
The share of Algerian gas has almost doubled in the space of a year, its share has increased from 10% to 19%. The share of renewable electricity (STEG production only) remains low and represents only 1% of primary resources.
As for the demand for primary energy, it grew by 7% between the first eight months of 2020 and the first eight months of 2021 from 6.1 Mtoe to 6.5 Mtoe, due to higher demand for natural gas by 4% and oil products by 10%.
