Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Austria, and Germany have jointly agreed to press ahead with a hydrogen pipeline connecting production in North Africa with European consumers.
The €13bn 3,300km SoutH2 Corridor would transport the molecule into Europe via a subsea connection between Tunisia and Sicily.
While the talks remain at an early stage, energy ministers of the five countries signed a Joint Political Declaration of Intent on the initiative and “reaffirmed their shared commitment” to the project at a conference in Algiers, Algeria.
Ministers also outlined measures to ramp up cooperation on the project both between national governments and private firms.
The 3,300km pipeline’s prospective developers, including transmission system operators and hydrogen producers, claim it could carry more than four million tonnes of green hydrogen per year by the early 2030s.
It was recognised as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) in 2023.
While Northern Africa is a potential supplier for Europe’s vast hydrogen consumption, most production in the region remains in planning.
Tunisia’s National Green Hydrogen Strategy aims for 8.3 million tonnes of domestic green hydrogen and derivative capacity by 2050, and Algeria’s targets over one million tonnes of hydrogen by 2040.
Capacities in the countries, however, are currently minimal. The Swiss Federal Council recently denied funding for its leg of a North Africa- Europe hydrogen pipeline, citing “uncertainty” around supplies from the region.
Never miss a hydrogen headline
Hydrogen moves fast – stay on top of it with our daily and weekly briefings.
- Daily: The top five hydrogen stories, straight to your inbox
- Weekly: The week’s biggest news, features, interviews and analysis
- North American Bulletin: Dedicated coverage of the region’s key hydrogen developments
Sign up for free
