Among the most ambitious infrastructure projects for Europe's energy transition is the SouthH2 Corridor, a dedicated 3,300-kilometre pipeline designed to transport renewable hydrogen and connect North Africa with Italy, Austria and Germany. The initiative is led by four European gas transmission system operators (TSOs) — Snam, TAG (Trans Austria Gasleitung), GCA (Gas Connect Austria) and Bayernets — with the goal of delivering competitive renewable hydrogen from the southern Mediterranean to Northern Europe's major demand hubs.
The project's scale is reflected in its figures: an import capacity of more than 4 million tonnes per year (Mtpa) from North Africa, which on its own could cover up to 40% of the hydrogen import target set by the EU's REPowerEU plan. More than 70% of the route will reuse existing repurposed gas infrastructure, cutting both time and cost compared with building new pipelines from scratch, complemented by new dedicated assets only where needed.
The corridor is designed to capitalise on North Africa's abundant wind and solar resources, particularly well suited to producing low-cost green hydrogen for hard-to-abate industrial sectors. Expected benefits include strengthened European energy security, greater supply diversification, and new sustainable-development partnerships across the Mediterranean.
The project fits squarely within the mission of the Energy Transition Hub Torino, which — through its SEASTAR Competence Centre — works on technologies for hydrogen safety and storage across the entire value chain, from production and transport to geological storage.
Sources: Snam, TAG, GCA, Bayernets — SouthH2 Corridor initiative