Germany, Italy to partner on hydrogen pipeline to North Africa

Germany and Italy have agreed to push ahead with the development of a hydrogen pipeline from North Africa to southern Germany to support long-term energy security and transformation.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have signed an Action Plan for Strategic Cooperation which envisages a closer energy partnership between the two countries.

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Under the plan, Germany and Italy will seek to advance the development of new gas and hydrogen pipelines connecting the two countries via Austria or Switzerland. Special attention is focused on the South Central Corridor linking southern Germany and Italy to North Africa which should expand cross-border infrastructure and help import 10 million tonnes of hydrogen by 2030.

The pipeline will connect demand centres in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, thereby contributing to the establishment of a larger European hydrogen network.

In pursuit of these goals, Germany and Italy will also actively promote the acceleration of renewable energy, gas, and hydrogen production in North Africa.

The pact between Scholz and Meloni comes after the energy ministers of Italy, Germany and Austria in May signed a letter of support for the development of a 3,300 km (2,051 miles) corridor between Germany and Tunisia that should enable the import of green hydrogen from North Africa. Most of the pipelines in the SoutH2 Corridor will represent existing repurposed midstream infrastructure for the transportation of hydrogen.