Algeria intends to become a major supplier of green hydrogen, with plans to supply a tenth of Europe’s needs in future.

For that purpose, an extension of an already existing gas pipeline corridor is planned via Tunisia and Italy to southern Germany, which eventually is slated to transport green hydrogen, Germany’s economics and climate ministry said at the opening Monday of a German-Algerian energy partnership meeting in Algiers.

The meeting was also attended by Algerian energy minister Mohamed Arkab and German state secretary for economics and climate protection Stefan Wenzel.

The North African country this year also held two large solar power tenders, the ministry added. Giant solar farms in the Algerian Sahara Desert are slated to produce the renewable power needed to produce hydrogen via electrolysis that is destined for export to Europe, Germany’s RND newswire said. 

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

“Algeria already today is our most important gas supplier and strategic for energy supply,” Meloni is quoted as saying on RDN after meeting Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

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