Algeria Seek to Supply Hydrogen to Europe via Pipeline

Algeria hopes to one day supply a tenth of Europe’s green hydrogen needs by expanding existing European gas pipelines to Germany.

During a German-Algerian energy partnership meeting earlier this week, which was attended by attended by Algerian energy minister Mohamed Arkab and German state secretary for economics and climate protection Stefan Wenzel, plans to expand the pipeline corridor via Tunisia and Italy to Southern Germany with the view to eventually transport green hydrogen were discussed.

The green hydrogen is slated to be produced through renewable energy from the North African country’s two large solar panel tenders in the Algerian Sahara Desert.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also visited Algeria this week to close deals for an Algerian-Italian ‘energy bridge’, with the aim of making Italy independent of Russian gas deliveries until the winter of 2024/25.

During her visit, the Prime Minister said: “Algeria already today is our most important gas supplier and strategic for energy supply.”

“And thanks to the new collaboration, we will further expand the existing connection between Africa and Italy.”

The two nations already had a cooperation agreement under Italy’s previous Prime Minister Mario Draghi, which doubled gas deliveries to Italy to more than 20 billion cubic metres last year. This volume is slated to be expanded to 36 billion cubic metres in coming years.