Policy

Algeria aims to supply Europe with 10% of its clean hydrogen needs by 2040 in new national H2 roadmap

North African nation will produce both green and blue hydrogen, which it might pump to Italy via pipeline

Noureddine Yassaa, Algeria's commissioner of renewable energy and energy efficiency, speaking at last week's workshop, where the country's new H2 roadmap was unveiled.
Noureddine Yassaa, Algeria's commissioner of renewable energy and energy efficiency, speaking at last week's workshop, where the country's new H2 roadmap was unveiled.Photo: Cerefe
Algeria has unveiled a national hydrogen roadmap that includes the aim of supplying Europe with 10% of its clean H2 needs by 2040.

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The North African nation, which has the tenth-largest proven natural gas reserves globally, plans to produce both blue hydrogen, derived from fossil gas with carbon capture and storage, and green H2 made from solar and wind power.

Algeria currently sends fossil gas to Italy and Spain via pipeline, and Italian gas distributor Snam reportedly has plans to pump hydrogen from Algeria to Italy via pipeline, and then on to Germany and Austria.
The EU plans to subsidise green hydrogen, but not blue H2, although the German government told Hydrogen Insight in December that the latter would be included in its forthcoming update of its own national H2 strategy. It also aims to import ten million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030.
Algeria’s new national hydrogen roadmap, which was unveiled at a workshop in Algiers late last week, states an aim to produce and export 30-40TWh of gaseous and liquid hydrogen and H2 derivatives by 2040. A million tonnes of hydrogen contains about 33TWh of energy.
The country’s H2 roadmap consists of three phases: start-up (2023-30), which will include pilot projects; expansion and market creation (2030-40); and industrialisation and market competitiveness (2040-50).

Part of the strategy includes securing foreign financing and grants, as well as international strategic partnerships.

It also states that the price of producing renewable energy in Algeria needs to fall, along with the cost of electrolysers, while the local electricity grid would have to be strengthened.

Strategic objectives within the Algerian national hydrogen roadmap include:

  • Accelerating the country’s energy transition and reducing its carbon footprint;
  • Reducing the domestic consumption of fossil gas;
  • Creating an ecosystem for clean hydrogen development, including “industrial integration”;
  • Establishing new centres of excellence for research, development and training;
  • The gradual establishment of a national economy of hydrogen and its derivatives, namely ammonia, methanol and synthetic fuels, particularly for the iron and steel industry;
  • The establishment of a hydrogen production and export centre.

“Introducing this strategy and disseminating it on a large scale will give all parties, whether national or international, a clear and accurate vision of Algeria's ambition and goals in the field of hydrogen production and development as an essential ally for the energy transition,” said the country’s commissioner for renewable energies and energy efficiency, Noureddine Yassaa.

“This would open new horizons in terms of attracting the interest of investors and forming strong partnerships on the process of reviving the hydrogen sector in our country, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it would allow all national actors to participate in creating an economic dynamic around the hydrogen sector, and build a fabric of small, medium and emerging enterprises.”

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AlgeriaAfricaGreen H2Blue H2Europe
Published 27 March 2023, 10:39Updated 27 March 2023, 10:40