Germany and Italy are set to collaborate on the construction of a hydrogen pipeline stretching from North Africa to southern Germany.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni formalized this partnership through the signing of an Action Plan for Strategic Cooperation, reinforcing energy ties between the two nations.
The plan outlines the intention to progress the construction of new gas and hydrogen pipelines connecting Germany and Italy via Austria or Switzerland, with a specific focus on the South-Central Corridor linking southern Germany and Italy to North Africa.
This corridor aims to enhance cross-border infrastructure and enable the importation of 10 million tons of hydrogen by 2030, fostering a more extensive European hydrogen network.
The initiative builds on an agreement signed in May 2023 between the respective energy ministers of Italy, Germany and Austria to support the establishment of a 3,300 km corridor between Germany and Tunisia for importing green hydrogen from North Africa. Most of the pipelines within the South-Central Corridor will involve repurposing existing midstream infrastructure tailored for hydrogen transportation.