Tunisia plans to become a major supplier of zero-emission hydrogen to Europe, with Germany’s help. Much of it would be produced in Gabès, where a state phosphate plant has poisoned air, sea and land for half a century. Part of that “clean” hydrogen would go to keeping the plant running.
This is another sensationalist headline with poor quality. This issue isn’t limited to Tunisia but spans across many other countries. Also, Europe is not the only player in this industry.
In principle, Tunisia is well-positioned to export renewable energy to Europe through its ELMED interconnector, a submarine power cable between Tunisia and Italy. The problems are that Tunisia still imports a considerable amount of its energy while at the same time suffering from growing public debt pressures. There is a fundamental contradiction: while local conditions still exist, investment flows to infrastructure geared towards external customers. The costs of transition remain local, while many benefits flow globally.
Another problem is the fragmented global system as the European Union is no longer the only actor attempting to shape hydrogen governance:
The costs of this fragmentation fall disproportionately on developing producer countries. Industrial powers possess the capacity to set standards and protect domestic industries. Most exporters do not. This creates a governance asymmetry where industrial powers write the rules while producer nations absorb the compliance costs.
It is noteworthy that Tunisia, a country that is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that has been facing a growing trade deficit with China, has been the target of several Chinese companies across many industries. In green hydrogen, companies such as PowerChina, China Sinoma International Engineering, and Goldwind, are known to be pursuing opportunities in Tunisia’s also in green hydrogen sector in recent years.
The entire issue is much more complex than this sensational hit piece makes one believe imo.