Energy ministers from Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Austria and Germany signed a ministerial declaration in Algiers on Thursday to advance the SoutH2 Corridor, a major green hydrogen project linking North Africa with Europe.
The Algiers Ministerial Declaration provides for the establishment of a dedicated secretariat to provide technical support for the project with assistance from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The declaration also highlights the strategic importance of the project in promoting regional and Euro-Mediterranean integration and cooperation in green energy.
The document was signed at the Abdelatif Rahal International Conference Centre by Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies Mourad Adjal, Austrian Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, German State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Frank Wenzel, and Tunisian Minister of Equipment and Housing Slah Zouari, who is also overseeing the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy.
The SoutH2 Corridor aims to transport up to 4 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually from Algeria to Austria, Germany and Italy through a pipeline network spanning about 3,000 kilometres.
The planned volume would account for about 10 percent of Europe’s projected clean hydrogen demand by 2040, according to the declaration.
The ministers also stressed the need for sustained political support and regular, structured dialogue among partner countries to ensure the project’s continued development and eventual success.
The signatories pledged to work together to build a cross-Mediterranean energy partnership and strengthen economic ties among the participating countries.
The second ministerial meeting was attended by Algerian Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons Mohamed Arkab, Minister of Industry Farid Kourtel, ambassadors of the participating countries and representatives of companies involved in the project.
Work on the project began in October 2024, when Algeria’s Sonatrach and Sonelgaz signed a memorandum of understanding in Oran with Germany’s VNG, Italy’s Snam and SeaCorridor, and Austria’s Verbund Green Hydrogen.
The agreement covered studies to assess the feasibility and economic viability of an integrated project to produce green hydrogen in Algeria for export to Europe.
The initiative gained further momentum during Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s visit to Germany in July, when Sonatrach signed two cooperation protocols with Robert Bosch and Siemens Energy covering areas including electrolyser manufacturing, hydrogen production, equipment maintenance and specialised training.
The first ministerial meeting of the participating energy ministers was held in Rome in January 2025. It resulted in a joint declaration of political intent on the strategic infrastructure and a commitment to strengthen cooperation through a five-country working group.
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4 Octoberober, 2026 
