Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

Geographical proximity, climate and meteorological conditions favourable to the production of renewable energies as well as a plethora of existing energy infrastructure and trade relationships represent a huge potential for both sides of the Mediterranean basin to develop a future market for green hydrogen together. This study aims to take stock of the current state of national hydrogen markets in the MENA region, looks at their potential for future use and production of green hydrogen and presents policy recommendations for each specific context that may help raise this potential for domestic use and export to other markets.
For each of the countries, the specific context determines how a path towards the development of a national hydrogen market may look like. On the other hand, like everywhere else, they share the challenge of the substantial infrastructure investment necessary to ramp up production as well as consumption of green hydrogen. The need to develop coherent yet flexible green hydrogen strategies to integrate the different aspects of industrial policy that are necessary during the market ramp-up is also shared by all as is the regulatory and technological uncertainty surrounding the modes of transport and methods of transformation.
This paper represents a starting point for the discussion about a new future energy relationship between Europe and MENA but also between the countries that are part of the MENA region. We hope it will lead to a better mutual understanding of the economic, political, geopolitical, regulatory and other challenges that will determine how green hydrogen will reshape the energy relationships around and across the Mediterranean basin in the decades to come.