Tunisia's Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines has signed six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with European companies to advance the production of green hydrogen. The North African country aims to become a key supplier of green fuel to Europe.
The agreements involve Austrian utility Verbund AG, in cooperation with Aker Horizons and TUNUR; Savanah Energy; Hydrogene de France, in partnership with Amarenco and H2 Global; DEME Hyport; and Germany's Abo Energy. Tunisia's energy minister, Fatma Thabet Chiboub, attended the signing ceremony.
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While specific details of the agreements were not disclosed, the partnerships are in line with Tunisia's green hydrogen strategy. This strategy focuses on attracting investments and utilizing the country's existing industrial and energy infrastructure. By 2050, Tunisia aims to produce 8.3 million tonnes of green hydrogen and its derivatives, with 2.3 million tonnes designated for the local market and 6 million tonnes for export. The projected total investment for this initiative is nearly EUR 120 billion.
Europe is a major destination for Tunisia's planned hydrogen exports. In May, a joint venture between TotalEnergies, EREN Groupe, and Verbund signed an MoU to explore the development of a project in Tunisia with an initial capacity to produce 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually for export to Central Europe.
Tunisia's ambitions are supported by Europe's growing need for hydrogen imports. The governments of Germany, Austria, and Italy have pledged support for the SoutH2 Corridor pipeline, which will transport green hydrogen from North Africa to these countries. The pipeline is expected to be operational around 2030.
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