Algeria wants to diversify its resources and Europe its energy supply. Green hydrogen is a resource that can contribute to making both of these aspirations a reality.
The project for a backbone that will supply the old continent with this zero-pollution energy from Algeria has come out of the drawers and is beginning to take shape.
During a meeting on Thursday 8 June in Rome, the President of the Italian Council Giorgia Meloni and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated their agreement on the need to ensure the diversification of energy supply sources, betting on the Algerian green hydrogen.
“ We are working with the European Commission to support the SoutH2 Corridor project, which will connect green hydrogen flows from Italy, Germany and Austria in the future,” Ms Meloni told AFP . outcome of the meeting.
The SoutH2 corridor is a 3,300 km backbone that will be able to transport 4 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year from Algeria to Europe, mainly Italy, Austria and Germany.
Algeria has opted in recent years for the development of the green hydrogen sector in order to diversify its sources of income, which until now have focused on gas and oil exports.
Algeria sets course for green hydrogen
In February 2022, the President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune highlighted Algeria’s potential in the production of green hydrogen which allows it to become a “key player” in this field.
During Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Algiers last January, Tebboune reiterated that Algeria has the capacity to become an “ energy hub for Europe ”. During the same visit, the two parties announced the relaunch of the construction project for a second gas pipeline linking Algeria and Italy, the Galsi. Besides gas, the Galsi will also transport electricity, ammonia and hydrogen.
As part of the South2 corridor, the use of a large part of the existing infrastructure is planned. Two other similar projects have been identified by the European Union, which plans to import 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen from 2030 under the REPowerEU plan.
Besides Italy, the SoutH2 will supply other European countries such as Austria and Germany, which cannot produce this energy at competitive prices for the energy transition.
Several European groups have already committed to the project, including the Italians SNAM and ENI, the Austrians TAG and GCA as well as the German Bayernets. In total, some twenty companies are taking part in the development of the different phases of the project, which has been selected as a project of common interest (PIC) by the European Union.
