TotalEnergies, partners plan green hydrogen export from Tunisia

A joint venture between TotalEnergies (EPA:TTE) and EREN Groupe, together with Austria's Verbund (VIE:VER) will study the implementation of a project in Tunisia with an initial capacity to produce 200,000 tons of green hydrogen per year for export to Central Europe.

The joint company, TE H2, and Verbund have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tunisia's government for the large-scale project.

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The study will focus on southern Tunisia, utilising electrolysers powered by 5 GW of onshore wind and solar energy combined with desalinated seawater. Plans include the potential expansion of the plant to produce one million tons of green hydrogen per year in its final phase.

The initial phase of the project, dubbed H2 Notos, will require investments of about EUR 8 billion (USD 8.67bn), the government said in a statement.

If implemented, H2 Notos will be connected to the planned SoutH2 Corridor pipeline, which will transport green hydrogen from North Africa to Italy, Austria, and Germany, and is expected to be commissioned around 2030.

"H2 Notos has the potential to become a significant supplier of green hydrogen for Europe while fostering significant jobs creation in Tunisia. We are entering into a phase of greenfield development and major technical work to assess the feasibility of the project [...]", commented TE H2's chief executive David Corchia.

TUNISIA'S GREEN HYDROGEN AMBITIONS

This large-scale initiative aligns with Tunisia's 2035 national energy strategy, which aims to reduce the North African country's energy deficit, diversify energy sources, and boost investment in the renewable energy sector. It also seeks to promote innovative technologies such as green hydrogen.

The national strategy for green hydrogen and its derivatives aims to attract both domestic and foreign investment, leveraging the country's competencies, industrial and energy infrastructure, and strategic location.

Tunisia aims to produce 8.3 million tons of green hydrogen and its derivatives by 2050, with 2.3 million tons allocated for the local market and 6 million tons designated for export. This represents a total investment of about EUR 120 billion and is expected to create 430,000 new direct and indirect jobs, based on government estimates.