French energy major TotalEnergies and Austrian electricity provider Verbund, in collaboration with their joint venture TE H2 with Eren Groupe, have inked a preliminary agreement with the Republic of Tunisia for the groundbreaking renewable hydrogen project, H2 Notos, geared towards supplying Europe.
The ambitious initiative aims to annually produce 200,000 metric tons of hydrogen, leveraging desalinated water from the Mediterranean and electricity generated from wind and solar farms in southern Tunisia. With the potential for expansion, the project could scale up production to 1 million tons per year.
Facilitated by a 3,300 km (2,050 mile) pipeline stretching from Tunisia to Italy, and onward to Austria and Germany, the hydrogen transportation infrastructure is under planning, involving companies like Snam. Expected to kickstart operations by 2030, the hydrogen will be distributed across Central Europe, with Verbund playing a pivotal role in the distribution network.
This venture aligns with the European Union’s ambitious targets of producing and importing significant volumes of renewable hydrogen by 2030 to supplant hydrocarbons and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. As European industries gear up to transition to hydrogen, the project promises to provide a cost-effective and sustainable alternative.
TEH2 CEO, David Corchia, emphasized the project’s innovation in directly transporting low-cost hydrogen via pipeline, highlighting its economic advantages over traditional methods like ammonia transportation. Corchia also underscored the project’s competitiveness compared to American hydrogen initiatives, which often rely on subsidies and less efficient transportation methods.
Anticipated next steps involve a final investment decision slated for 2027 or 2028, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards sustainable energy supply in Europe.