The Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab affirmed, Saturday in Algiers, that Algeria was able to play a leading role in the production of hydrogen at the regional level.
In a speech at the opening of the 26th Energy Day, Mr. Arkab indicated that “the first data show that Algeria has great potential which enables it to play a leading regional role in this field, the advantage of immense solar energy potential, extensive and integrated networks for the transmission of electricity and gas, considerable water reserves and significant research and development capacities”.
Thus, Algeria has “great assets and a competitive advantage”, which allow it to occupy a good place to invest in the hydrogen industry, noted the minister, citing the natural gas resources available to support the production of blue hydrogen.
Produced from gas with sequestration of carbon emissions, blue hydrogen is “important” in the short and medium term to develop green hydrogen (produced from renewable energies) with “high economic efficiency and feasibility” .
Algeria also enjoys, he said, a strategic position, ports and infrastructure for the transport of gas to meet local, regional and global demand for hydrogen, in addition to its long experience in the technologies used in this field, as well as the availability of technical expertise and design capacities in the energy sector to contribute to the local manufacture of hydrogen production equipment.
“All these capacities should enable our country to quickly integrate into the regional dynamics of hydrogen development”, affirmed Mr. Arkab, who specified that the Ministry of Energy and Mines had been instructed by the Government to develop a national strategy for the development of hydrogen, through an interministerial commission made up of the sectors of energy, energy transition, higher education and scientific research, start-ups and finance , in addition to the Commission for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency (CEREFE).
However, the development of hydrogen in Algeria requires a set of essential requirements and to meet several challenges in order to create an appropriate economic environment, according to the minister.
This is precisely the preparation of an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework, the definition of priority sectors for the use of hydrogen, the preparation and qualification of human capital and scientific research, the realization studies necessary for the construction of pilot projects, the examination of financing methods as well as the development of relations and opportunities for international cooperation, underlined Mr. Arkab.
