Hype Rimini: the success of the Southern Hydrogen Corridor depends on market integration and the specialization of Italian and German manufacturing
For Europe’s energy transition to succeed and focus on hydrogen, it must build a system of cooperation between countries. This was the message that emerged from the German-Italian Energy Talk held in Rimini, dedicated to the prospects of hydrogen as a vector for decarbonization and energy security.
The energy transition as an industrial strategy
In his speech, Fabrizio Penna, Head of the NRRP Mission Unit at the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, emphasized that Europe is at a decisive moment: the energy transition is not only a climate goal, but a true industrial strategy. In Italy, the NRRP allocates almost €3 billion in investments for hydrogen and more than 50 Hydrogen Valleys, funded with around €600 million, with the aim of connecting renewable energy production to the most energy-intensive industrial hubs.
However, the European dimension is fundamental for market development: only a continental scale can ensure adequate infrastructure, common standards, and the conditions needed to attract private investment. In this context, cooperation between Italy and Germany appears strategic: Italy can offer manufacturing flexibility and a key infrastructural position in the Mediterranean, while Germany is one of Europe’s main industrial and technological hubs.
From North Africa to Germany through Italy
From the German side, Patricia Schikora of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs highlighted that hydrogen demand in Germany could reach between 150 and 650 TWh by 2045. To meet this demand, imports will need to play a significant role, with an estimated share of between 26% and 92%, equal to 25–418 TWh of imported hydrogen.
In this scenario, the Southern Hydrogen Corridor takes on a central role: an infrastructure network of around 4,000 kilometers that will connect North Africa to Central Europe through Italy. The project, which largely aims to reuse existing gas infrastructure, could transport up to 126 TWh of hydrogen per year, equal to around 3.8 million tonnes.
At the global level, investment in the sector continues to grow, and clean hydrogen projects now exceed 500 initiatives, with Europe leading in the number of projects expected to be ready by 2030. However, challenges remain in terms of production costs, industrial demand, and the speed of permitting procedures.
For this reason, collaboration between industry, institutions, and the financial system will be decisive in transforming hydrogen from a technological promise into a pillar of the European energy system.
