Italy, Germany, Austria firm up support for Southern Hydrogen Corridor

The governments of Italy, Germany and Austria have joined forces to speed up the development of a pipeline that will enable the three European countries to receive green hydrogen imports from North Africa, they said on Thursday.

The energy ministries of the three countries have signed a joint declaration of intent (JDOI) to advance the Southern Hydrogen Corridor project, following a joint letter of support from last November. This pact is seen to accelerate the development of the hydrogen import network, which is seen to enhance energy security and contribute to the European Union’s (EU) climate goals.

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The Southern Hydrogen Corridor, also known as SoutH2 Corridor, has been selected as a project of common interest (PCI) and as such will benefit from accelerated permitting procedures and funding. The project involves the creation of a 3,300-km (2,051 miles) corridor that should enable the import of green hydrogen from North Africa from 2030 onwards. Around 70% of the network will be existing midstream infrastructure repurposed for the transportation of hydrogen.

The pipeline will be developed by Italian gas infrastructure operator Snam, transmission system operators (TSOs) Trans Austria Gasleitung (TAG) and Gas Connect Austria (GCA), as well as Germany's bayernets.

Under its REPowerEU Plan, the EU aims to produce 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen domestically and import another 10 million by 2030.