The Minister of Energy and Mines Mohamed Arkab, underlined yesterday in Algiers, the importance of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Sonatrach group and the German gas company VNG AG, assuring that this cooperation will ensure technological mastery of green hydrogen before 2030.
Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the 4th Algerian-German energy day during which the memorandum of understanding between Sonatrach and VNG AG was signed, Mr. Arkab said that this agreement should make it possible to launch “ the first pilot project” for the production of green hydrogen in Algeria with a capacity of 50 MW, with the main objective of mastering the technologies relating to this field.
This project will thus allow the transfer of German technologies and expertise for the benefit of Algerian executives, in order to be able to move on to the stage of commercial production of a large quantity of green hydrogen from
the year 2030, according to the minister. Affirming that this pilot project will be co-financed by both parties, Mr. Arkab explained that the cooperation between Sonatrach and VNG AG also concerns the realization of studies on the means of storage and transport of green hydrogen.
While recalling that Algeria already produces gray hydrogen through existing processes at Sonatrach, he argued that the memorandum of understanding with the German company will allow the change to green hydrogen, and this, as part of a “win-win” partnership.
“We have set a deadline until 2030 to have all the technological mastery in this area, before moving on to the export stage.
European countries are diversifying their energy sources and we hope to be in their energy mix,” Mr. Arkab said.
For her part, the Deputy Minister at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, Franziska Brantner, stressed that Germany has great expertise in this area and shares a common political will with Algeria. to take up the challenge of developing this clean energy.
“The project includes a technical and scientific partnership between the two companies which are supported by the governments of the two countries”, noted Ms. Brantner, adding that Germany expressed a “great need
to import green hydrogen for the industry and transport.
With regard to the transport of green hydrogen from Algeria to Germany, she mentioned the existence “of a fairly developed means which is that of the transport of green ammonia with delivery chains already used”, considering this means “as a first step”.
It should be noted that the Sonatrach group and the German gas company VNG AG signed, yesterday in Algiers, a memorandum of understanding to examine cooperation opportunities for the realization of projects in the field of hydrogen and green ammonia.
The Vice-President Business and Development signed this document within the Sonatrach group, Fethi Arabi, and the member of the Board of Directors of VNG AG, Hans-Joachim Polk, in the presence of the Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, the Minister of the Environment and Renewable Energies, Samia Moualfi, the Deputy Minister at the Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection, Franziska Brantner, as well as CEO of Sonatrach, Toufik Hakkar.
