South2 Corridor; From Algeria to Germany; The Promising Future of Hydrogen Exports

This paper will showcase the importance of a great H2 project as Europe is facing many challenges to find sustainable solutions to its energy needs; one of the key elements is to invest in green H2. SouthH2 Corridor is a hydrogen pipeline which is under feasibility study. It is supposed to transport green molecules from North Africa, starting from Algeria, passing through Tunisia, Italy, Austria, to Germany. The pipeline is 3300 km long and is able to supply 4 MT of green H2 to Europe. In this paper, we would like to shed light on the huge contribution of this project to reduce a tremendous amount of carbon emissions as it will replace conventional resources in energy generation, namely coal. Methods, Procedures, Process: SouthH2 Corridor is not a simple project in the green hydrogen industry, but the first intercontinental project to transport green H2 from North Africa to Southern Europe. An MOU was signed in October 2024 between the national companies Sonatrach and Sonelgaz from Algeria, VNG from Germany, SNAM and Sea Corridor from Italy, and Verbund Green Hydrogen from Austria. As Europe is planning to produce 10 MT of green H2 and import the same volume by 2030, the SouthH2 project brings added value to Europe as it represents 40% of the total imports. Algeria has the largest surface area in Africa, 90% of which is desert, making it a vital source of renewables for Europeans, as the geographic position and the abundance of solar energy are key factors that will help many European countries meet their carbon neutrality plans by 2050. That is why the SouthH2 Corridor is considered a strategic project to lower carbon emissions by replacing coal, which is still largely used in Europe. Results, Observations, Conclusions: SouthH2 Corridor will bring green molecules from Algeria to Germany as the final destination. Bringing 4 MT of green H2 will replace many fossil fuels in power generation, assuming that 1 MWh generated from coal emits 953 kg of CO2, noting that from 1 MT of green H2 we can generate 33 TWh of energy content. Therefore, 4 MT will deliver 132 TWh through SouthH2 Corridor; billions of tons of CO2 will be eliminated. A detailed presentation will showcase the importance of this project as a pioneer in the world to transport green H2 from one continent to another. Novel/Additive Information: Technology and investments are key elements to implement this project and are available to reach this target. The project will make a revolution in the green H2 industry, as it will overcome many technical challenges, contributing to reducing production and transportation costs.