Algeria, A Future International Leader in Green Hydrogen Production

A joint study between Algerian and Saudi researchers, published by an international scientific journal, highlighted some reasons and factors that make Algeria a global leader in hydrogen production, given the enormous potential it has to produce this energy in the south.

Still, the north of the country is also considered a reservoir for producing this vital energy resource given the availability of water. At the same time, the Wilaya of Tamanrasset (southern Algeria) is the most productive region in the world for green hydrogen and the least expensive.

This study was published on February 14, 2025, in the international scientific journal nature.com and was titled “Advancing green hydrogen production in Algeria with opportunities and challenges for future directions”. It stated that Algeria can rely primarily on solar energy to produce hydrogen, which allows it to benefit from its diverse geographical locations, whether in desert or coastal areas.

A graph indicates that regions such as Tamanrasset and Adrar have huge solar power generation capacities, the highest in the world, which contributes to the production of green hydrogen in large quantities, and the cost in Tamanrasset, at least, is among a group of other regions, such as Mauritania, Australia and Germany.

According to the same graph, Tamanrasset’s green hydrogen production capacity is close to 700,000 kilograms per year, Adrar’s about 660,000 kilograms, and in Skikda, despite being coastal, the capacity is close to 550,000 kilograms per year, while the capacity does not reach 440,000 kilograms per year in both Germany and Australia.

According to a second graph, the capacity to produce electricity from solar energy in Tamanrasset is 34 million kWh per year, and Adrar 32 million kWh, while Skikda, despite being coastal, has a capacity of up to 26 million kWh per year, while the production capacities in Germany and Australia do not reach 20 million kWh.

Despite the superiority of southern Algeria in production, the north of the country represents another strategic option, according to this study, due to the presence of sufficient water resources, in addition to the availability of advanced infrastructure, indicating that these factors contribute to ensuring the ability to export hydrogen to European markets, which are among the largest global markets for clean energy needs.

The study analyzed the costs of producing green hydrogen in Algeria, which it said are very low compared to developed countries such as Germany and Australia, as researchers estimated that Algeria could produce green hydrogen at a cost ranging between $1.68 and $2.70 per kilogram, making it more competitive than those countries, in addition to the geographical location that contributes to enhancing Algeria’s ability to export hydrogen to Europe thanks to geographical proximity and appropriate infrastructure.

The same study highlighted that one of the most prominent challenges facing Algeria is the balance between the exploitation of solar energy in the south and the use of water resources in the north, which requires an integrated strategy that ensures the sustainability of natural resources, noting that these challenges can be overcome by developing modern technologies in water treatment and reusing it in the production of hydrogen.

Researchers Yacine Benchenina and Abderrahim Zemmit from the University of M’Sila, Mohamed Moustafa Bouzaki from the University of Blida 1, Abdelouadoud Loukriz from the University of Science and Technology “Houari Boumediene” in Bab Ezzouar (Algiers), Saleh K. El Sayed, Ali Alzaed and Sherif S.M. Ghoneim from the University of Taif in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Guma Ali from the University of “Muni”, Arua in Uganda.

The scientific study concluded that Algeria is on the verge of global leadership in this clean energy source, benefiting from its rich solar and water resources, and through expected strategic investments, Algeria is moving steadily towards becoming a global hub in this vital field, and the integration of renewable energies with hydrogen production represents a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable development and enhancing energy security, as Algeria can, by exploiting its vast solar energy and addressing water resource challenges, build a balanced and effective production system.

The study stated that this research opens up broad horizons for future studies, including the exploitation of seawater to produce green hydrogen and extract salts to achieve economic and environmental integration, the use of wastewater in production and purification, which provides dual environmental and economic benefits, the evaluation of current stations to exploit surplus energy in hydrogen production, and the development of innovative solutions for storing and transporting hydrogen, considering them two major challenges in this sector.