- ACWA Power to explore the development of major green hydrogen project with a first phase of a capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year powered by 4GW of renewable energy.
- Tunisia is envisioned as a central node for green hydrogen production and export to Europe through a pipeline connecting Tunisia to Europe.
Saudi-listed ACWA Power has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tunisian Government represented by the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy to explore the potential for a project that would produce up to 600,000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen in three phases, for export to Europe.
ACWA Power would develop, operate and maintain 12GW of renewable energy electricity generation units, including storage systems and transmission lines, along with water desalination plants, electrolyzers and infrastructures to connect to the main pipeline. The first phase would involve installing 4GW of renewable energy units, 2GW of electrolyser capacity, as well as battery storage facilities, to produce 200,000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen. The green hydrogen production is aimed to be exported through the South2 Corridor, a hydrogen pipeline initiative led by European TSOs and identified as Project of Common Interest by the EU, connecting Tunisia to Italy, Austria and Germany.
Commenting on the announcement, Ouael Chouchene, Secretary of State for Energy Transition, said: “This project aligns perfectly with the Tunisian Government’s national green hydrogen strategy released in October 2023, which targets an annual production of 8.3 million tons of green hydrogen and byproducts by 2050. We are confident that this agreement with ACWA Power will leverage Tunisia’s strengths, including its strategic geographic location, existing infrastructure, and skilled workforce, to create a more sustainable future for the country.”
The project intends to play an integral role in supporting Tunisia’s National Strategy for the Development of Green Hydrogen and its Derivatives, which was launched in October 2023. The strategy includes an action plan for exporting more than 6 million tonnes of green hydrogen to Europe by 2050.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
