Five countries agree “energy security cornerstone” hydrogen pipeline from North Africa to Europe

Government representatives from Algeria, Austria, Italy, Germany, and Tunisia have signed a joint letter of intent for a new hydrogen corridor that should connect southern Europe with northern Africa via the Mediterranean Sea, the German economy ministry (BMWK) has said. At a meeting in Italy’s capital Rome that was also attended by representatives of Switzerland and the European Commission, the five countries agreed on plans to build a hydrogen pipeline with a length of more than 3,500 kilometres which is supposed to transport more than 163 terawatt hours (TWh) of the gas per year, out of which 55 TWh would go to Germany. Up to two thirds of the larger European part of the new transport corridor could be constructed with retrofitted natural gas pipelines. Several hydrogen infrastructure projects along the corridor running from Sicily to Bavaria had already been agreed as so-called “Projects of Common Interest” in the EU.