Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power signs deal for 2 GW green hydrogen capacity in Tunisia

Saudi green hydrogen developer ACWA Power has signed a memorandum of understanding with Tunisia to develop a multi-gigawatt green hydrogen project that will export output to Europe.

Under the agreement, signed between ACWA Power's CEO, Marco Arcelli and Tunisia's Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Fatma Thabet Chiboub, ACWA Power will produce up to 600,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year in the North African nation over three phases. The company will also develop and acquire 12 GW of renewable energy generation capacity.

The company will set up 2 GW of hydrogen production capacity as part of the project's first phase. The phase will produce 200,000 tonnes of hydrogen a year that will be sent through the SoutH2 Corridor, which will connect Tunisia with Italy, Austria and Germany and open by 2030.

Marco Arcelli, Chief Executive Officer of ACWA Power, said in a release: "We are excited to work with the Tunisian Government on this visionary project, bringing our expertise in renewables, desalination and green hydrogen to build a bridge with Europe to help reach its decarbonization targets. This project can also contribute significantly to economic growth, job creation, and sustainable energy solutions, exemplifying our shared vision for a greener future."

Tunisia has been ramping up its hydrogen play. The country plans to produce 8.3 million tonnes of hydrogen a year by 2050. Last week, Tunisia formed TE H2, a joint venture with French energy giant TotalEnergies, to develop project the green hydrogen project H2 Notos.

The project will produce green hydrogen via electrolyzers powered by onshore wind and solar developments. H2 Notos will commence production with 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year, going up to 1 million tonnes per year. It too will utilize the SoutH2 Corridor to export its production to Europe.