The development of a hydrogen pipeline from the Middle East to Europe is a feasible proposition, a new joint international study has found.
Genoa-based inspection, certification and consulting engineering multinational firm, RINA, and Stockholm-based AFRY, which offers engineering, design, and advisory services globally, recently completed a study on how to link the Gulf Operation Council Region and Europe with a pipeline for transportation of low-carbon hydrogen – a key component in climate-friendly energy and industry systems of the future.
RINA said in a statement this week that study results indicated a “transformative opportunity” to fully unlock the Gulf's immense potential as a cost-effective source of low-carbon hydrogen for Europe. It found that building a pipeline extending from the Gulf region to Egypt and then to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea was a feasible development proposal.
“With abundant Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Natural Gas reserves, the Gulf region is set to become a leading global producer of green and blue hydrogen, ammonia and other synthesis products,” RINA said.
“The concept of a hydrogen pipeline connecting Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and traversing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe may seem ambitious, but initial assessment indicates its feasibility,” it said.
The analysis shows that a suitable pipeline configuration could transport 100 TWh or approximately 2.5 million tonnes of hydrogen annually. And by constructing additional pipelines of the same nature, the transport capacity could be significantly scaled up.
The cost of transporting hydrogen through this pipeline is initially estimated at 1.2 EUR/kg H2. The Gulf countries could supply green and blue hydrogen to the economic hub of Europe at Levelised Costs of Delivered Hydrogen (LCODH) of around 2.7 EUR/kg starting from the 2030s, decreasing to around 2.3 EUR/kg in the longer term, the study found.
Recent geopolitical challenges have forced Europe to explore alternative avenues for energy security, including linking the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe by pipeline, which was investigated for the EastMed Natural Gas project. At the same time, the discussion around exporting hydrogen and its synthesis products from the Gulf to Europe is currently revolving around molecule transport by ship.
These options receive EU subsidies and drive activity within the gas/hydrogen industry, but they may not be most efficient for bulk transport. A competitive and actionable pipeline project from the Gulf region could soon provide a viable complement.
Antonio Nodari, member of the executive management team at AFRY Management Consulting, said the collaboration between RINA and AFRY provided a significant opportunity to take a step forward in the green energy transition for Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
“As well as understanding the opportunities, the expert team who have worked on this report have a realistic view of the obstacles that need to be overcome and have the solutions to address those challenges,” Nodari said.
RINA executive vice president Andrea Bombardi said the first-of-its-kind study considered routing alternatives, technical parameters, and feasibility, especially for the deep-sea pipeline section, geostrategic framework conditions, and top-level economic estimates of a direct hydrogen pipeline link.
“The findings of the study represent a decisive contribution to boost the hydrogen economy. Together with AFRY, we have identified a potential stable corridor to bring supply and demand together. The scale-up of hydrogen adoption goes through projects like this,” Bombardi said.
