German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have inked an Action Plan for Strategic Cooperation, solidifying a deeper energy partnership between their nations. Central to this collaboration is the commitment to advance the development of gas and hydrogen pipelines connecting Germany and Italy, potentially via Austria or Switzerland.
The Action Plan places particular emphasis on the South Central Corridor, which aims to link southern Germany and Italy to North Africa. This initiative seeks to bolster cross-border infrastructure, facilitating the import of 10 million tonnes of hydrogen by 2030. The envisioned pipeline will connect demand centers in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, contributing to the broader establishment of a European hydrogen network.
In alignment with these objectives, the two countries will actively promote the acceleration of renewable energy, gas, and hydrogen production in North Africa. This move is anticipated to strengthen long-term energy security and support the ongoing energy transformation efforts in both Germany and Italy.
The agreement follows the May signing of a letter of support by the energy ministers of Italy, Germany, and Austria for the development of a 3,300 km corridor between Germany and Tunisia. This corridor is envisaged to facilitate the import of green hydrogen from North Africa, with a significant portion of the pipelines in the South2H Corridor repurposing existing midstream infrastructure for hydrogen transportation.
