Algeria plans $20 bln power investment

ALGIERS, May 18 (Reuters) - Algerian state power utility Sonelgaz plans to invest $19.8 billion between now and 2013 to boost output and expand distribution, its chief executive said on Sunday.

Nourdine Bouterfa told a news conference $7.5 billion would be spent on new gas-fired power plants and "not less than $12.3 billion" on transporting and distributing electricity and gas.

Sonelgaz said earlier this month it was planning to export electricity to Spain by building a power grid link via Morocco.

"The realisation of 400 KV interconnection with Morocco, and which stretches until Gibraltar, will allow us to sell our surplus energy," Bouterfa said. (Reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed; editing by Jason Neely)