HDF signs MoU with Tunisia to invest €3 bn for 800 MW electrolyzer capacity

French hydrogen developer HDF Energy announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tunisian government to launch a large-scale green hydrogen project in the North African nation.

This company plans to set up 800 MW of electrolyzer capacity at an initial investment of ~€3 billion. HDF Energy will also set up a wind project of potential capacity 1 GW and solar photovoltaic project of capacity 500 MW to power the electrolyzers, which will be capable of producing up to 65,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per annum.

The green hydrogen will be used to meet Tunisia's domestic requirement, while the majority will be exported to Europe via the SoutH2 corridor, a hydrogen pipeline initiative led by European gas transmission operators.

For Tunisia, the partnership helps support the nation's strategy to become a leader in green hydrogen production, leveraging its abundant solar and wind resources.

In a statement released after the signing, the ministry of industry, mines and energy said the country aimed to produce "8.3 million tonnes of green hydrogen and its derivatives by 2050". Of this, around 2.3 million tonnes are intended for the local market while 6 million tonnes will be for export, the ministry said.

Gilles Bouder, HDF Energy's VP for EMEA, stated: "Our goal is not merely to execute a project in Tunisia but to establish a genuinely Tunisian project, by relying on local competencies and expertise. This project will empower Tunisia to produce some of the most competitively priced green hydrogen globally."

HDF Energy a leading global hydrogen player, aims to developing large-scale hydrogen infrastructure and advanced multi-megawatt fuel cell technology

From next year, the company expects to begin manufacturing multi-megawatt fuel cells that can support decarbonization across the power generation, heavy maritime and railway sectors at its facility near Bordeaux, France.

HDF Energy is also developing infrastructure for the mass production of green hydrogen and is currently developing a portfolio of projects valued at over €5 billion.