Italy, Germany, and Austria have officially inked an agreement to collaborate on the creation of a network designed to transport hydrogen from the southern Mediterranean to northern Europe, as announced by the energy ministries of the three nations on Thursday. This move underscores the European Union's commitment to securing renewable hydrogen supplies by 2030, a crucial step towards decarbonizing its most polluting industries.
The initiative, named the Southern Hydrogen Corridor, aims to facilitate the importation of renewable hydrogen from North Africa through southern Italy, with connections extending to major hydrogen demand centers in Italy, Austria, and Germany. Germany's Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection highlighted the significance of this endeavor, emphasizing its role in fostering a European market for renewable fuel.
A consortium of companies, led by Italian gas grid operator Snam, is poised to construct the SoutH2 pipeline by the early 2020s, with a substantial financial commitment exceeding 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion). Germany's Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, Robert Habeck, lauded the project's potential to supply southern German states with green hydrogen.
Previous reports indicated Italy's discussions with Bavaria's government regarding gas and hydrogen supply to the southern German state, with Rome also expressing intentions to export energy to Austria. The European Union aims to produce 10 million metric tons of green hydrogen and import an additional 10 million tons by 2030, aiming to replace fossil fuels and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
