Summary:

On 4 December 2024, the CEO of the Gabes Industrial and Technological Pole Management Company, Abdel Razzak El Jedi, announced the establishment of the Tunisian Complex for Renewable Hydrogen and its Derivatives which will bring together various technical, scientific and government parties interested in the renewable hydrogen industry. The announcement prompted protests from groups opposed to the development of renewable hydrogen due to the large amounts of land and water resources required. There are also concerns that green hydrogen is part of the Tunisian government’s strategy to reduce dependency on Algerian gas while developing an export infrastructure of renewable energy to Europe. 

The announcement came on the sidelines of the international conference on green hydrogen and its derivatives which was put on by the Gabes Industrial and Technological Company, in cooperation with several institutes, universities, and the French Embassy in Tunisia. 

Outlook: 

The new hydrogen complex is an important step to developing the infrastructure, legal framework, and advocacy necessary for the country to move toward the stated goal of green hydrogen production by 2030.  

The establishment of the hydrogen complex was facilitated by Tunisia’s cooperation with European countries, especially France, whose embassy was present during the announcement of the launch.  

However, green hydrogen projects are likely to continue facing popular opposition in Gabes where activists fear environmental damage and denounce what they call new postcolonial projects orchestrated by France who forbids such projects in its territory.  

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