On June 13th PIA hosted a “Fireside Chat with Didier Holleaux” focused on “the real history of gas and lessons for the energy transition”. Watch the full recording here.

---

The discussion raised a question about the relevance of producing green hydrogen in water-scarce regions of North Africa? Or would it be more relevant exporting electricity from North Africa to Europe and producing it there?

Producing 1 kg of renewable hydrogen requires between 18 and 25 liters of water, depending on the technology used (for electrolysis, cooling, etc.). Interestingly, 3 kg of hydrogen has the specific energy content equivalent to 10 liters of diesel ⛽.

In comparison, producing just 1 liter of crudeoil consumes up to 8 liters of water. This implies that switching from oil to green hydrogen could actually lead to water savings! 🌱

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the driest areas on the planet 🏜️, and water scarcity is expected to worsen due to climate change. According to data from the World Resources Institute and the Arab Water Council (AWC), PIA – Paris Infrastructure Advisory estimates freshwater withdrawals at 565 billion cubic meters by 2050, while freshwater availability stands at around 360 billion cubic meters during the same period.

On the other hand, the Hydrogen Council estimates the green hydrogen production potential in the MENA region to be 1088 million tons per annum by 2050, representing 27% of the global green hydrogen potential. The World Economic Forum calculates current green hydrogen production targets in the region at 20 million tons per annum by 2030. Deploying these 2030 targets with current technologies would require 0.4 billion cubic meters of water 🚰, which is only 0.1% of the region’s freshwater demand by 2030.

Significant investments are needed to address water scarcity in the region, including enhancing water efficiency 🌿, increasing water reuse ♻️, and expanding desalination capacities 💧.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the cost of desalination stands at around 0.8 USD per cubic meter, or 1.5 to 2 USD cents per kg of green hydrogen. The Hydrogen Council estimates that by 2050, green hydrogen production costs in the MENA region will reach 1.1 USD per kg. Thus, desalination costs would represent less than 2% of green hydrogen production costs.

Water desalination relies on proven and widely deployed technologies, used from London to Dubai. Although it poses environmental challenges due to brine concentration and the use of chemicals in the process, effective environmental mitigation measures exist 🌐. These include the recovery of salt and minerals 🧂 and reducing the concentration and number of chemicals permitted in the outfall 🧪.

In conclusion, while water scarcity is a significant challenge in the MENA region 🚱, the transition to green hydrogen not only holds the potential for water savings compared to oil production but also remains feasible with the current desalination and water management technologies 💧.

The development of green hydrogen in the region could thus be part of a broader strategy to improve water efficiency and sustainability 🌱.