Algeria stands today at the crossroads of two defining transitions: the global shift toward low-carbon energy systems and the intensifying pressure on water resources across arid and semi-arid regions. In this dual transformation, green hydrogen has emerged not only as an industrial opportunity but as a strategic lever capable of reshaping the country’s energy model, export structure, and environmental trajectory. Yet, at the heart of this hydrogen ambition lies a critical enabler that is too often underestimated: desalination.
Green hydrogen, produced through water electrolysis powered by renewable electricity, is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of global decarbonization strategies [1,2]. Unlike conventional hydrogen produced via steam methane reforming, which emits significant amounts of CO₂, green hydrogen can be virtually emission-free when driven by solar or wind power. Its relevance is particularly high for hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, fertilizers, aviation, shipping, and long-distance transport [3,4]. For Europe, which has committed to installing 40 GW of electrolyzers and importing an equivalent capacity by 2030, neighboring regions with abundant renewables have become strategic partners [5].
In this context, Algeria possesses a unique combination of assets. The country benefits from some of the highest solar irradiation levels in the world, exceeding 2,500 kWh/m² per year in vast Saharan areas [6,7]. Its solar atlas identifies over 169,000 km² suitable for photovoltaic deployment, theoretically capable of generating electricity far beyond domestic demand [8]. This solar abundance enables highly competitive renewable electricity costs, a decisive factor in lowering the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH). Since producing 1 kg of hydrogen requires approximately 50–55 kWh of electricity [9], access to low-cost solar power is essential for competitiveness.
However, renewable electricity is only one side of the equation. Electrolysis also requires high-purity water. Approximately 9 to 10 liters of ultrapure water are needed to produce 1 kg of hydrogen [10]. While this may appear modest at first glance, scaling up to industrial levels dramatically increases demand. Algeria’s target of producing 30–40 TWh of hydrogen and derivatives by 2040 could require tens of millions of cubic meters of water annually [11]. In a country already facing structural water stress due to arid climate conditions, recurrent droughts, groundwater overexploitation, and climate change impacts, this raises a critical question: where will the water come from?
The answer increasingly points toward desalination.
Algeria has already made desalination a strategic pillar of its water security policy. The country currently operates 17 large-scale seawater desalination plants distributed along its Mediterranean coastline, with a combined production capacity of approximately 3.8 million m³ per day [12]. These plants now provide around 42% of the national potable water supply, a remarkable shift in a country that historically relied on surface water and groundwater resources. By 2030, additional projects are expected to further increase this capacity, reinforcing desalination as a structural component of national water management.
This existing desalination infrastructure offers a decisive advantage for green hydrogen development. Coastal hydrogen production hubs, such as those planned in Arzew and other industrial zones, can directly couple electrolysis units with desalinated seawater, avoiding pressure on freshwater resources. The 50 MW semi-industrial green hydrogen project in Arzew, developed in partnership with German institutions, is a first step in this direction, testing the technical and economic feasibility of renewable-powered electrolysis integrated into existing industrial ecosystems [13].
Nevertheless, desalination is not a neutral solution. Conventional reverse osmosis (RO) desalination consumes between 3.5 and 4.2 kWh per cubic meter of produced water [14]. When desalinated water is used for hydrogen production, this additional energy consumption slightly increases overall hydrogen production costs, typically by 5–10% depending on configuration [15]. In economic terms, this increment remains relatively modest compared to the dominant role of electricity and electrolyzer capital expenditure in the LCOH structure [16,17]. Yet, at large scale, optimizing this water-energy interface becomes crucial.
This is where the concept of the water-energy-hydrogen nexus becomes central. Integrating renewable energy directly into desalination operations can significantly reduce the carbon footprint and operating costs of both water and hydrogen production. Algeria’s exceptional solar potential enables the development of co-located solar photovoltaic plants powering both desalination units and electrolyzers. Such integrated systems reduce transmission losses, improve capacity factors, and enhance overall system efficiency [18].
Recent techno-economic analyses suggest that under favorable conditions—low-cost solar electricity below €0.02/kWh and declining electrolyzer costs—green hydrogen production costs in Algeria could fall to the range of 2.1–2.7 USD/kg in optimized configurations combining solar PV and desalination [19]. Although current global averages remain higher, typically between 4 and 6 USD/kg [16], the trajectory of cost reduction is clear. Electrolyzer costs, currently ranging from 500 to 1,800 USD/kW depending on technology, are expected to decline substantially by 2030 [20]. As capital expenditure decreases and renewable capacity expands, the relative cost contribution of desalination becomes even less significant.
Beyond cost considerations, desalination provides a strategic resilience benefit. By decoupling hydrogen production from freshwater availability, Algeria can avoid competition between industrial uses and domestic water needs. This is particularly important given the geographical mismatch between solar resources, which are strongest in the south, and desalination plants, which are located along the coast. A rational spatial planning approach would prioritize coastal hydrogen production clusters linked to desalination facilities and export infrastructure, while inland renewable energy can supply electricity through high-voltage transmission networks.
Environmental sustainability must also be addressed. Desalination produces concentrated brine that must be carefully managed to avoid marine ecosystem degradation. As hydrogen production expands, cumulative brine volumes could increase. Therefore, investment in advanced brine management solutions, including energy recovery devices, brine dilution systems, and potential mineral valorization, will be essential to maintain environmental integrity. Research and innovation in membrane efficiency and low-energy desalination technologies can further reduce the environmental footprint [21].
From a geopolitical perspective, desalination strengthens Algeria’s position as a reliable green hydrogen supplier to Europe. The country’s extensive natural gas pipeline network, including the TransMed pipeline to Italy and Medgaz to Spain, could be partially repurposed for hydrogen transport at significantly lower cost than building entirely new pipelines [22]. Participation in initiatives such as the SoutH2 Corridor, linking North Africa to Central Europe, illustrates Algeria’s ambition to integrate into the emerging European Hydrogen Backbone. In this export-oriented model, coastal hydrogen production based on desalinated seawater becomes not just a technical solution, but a strategic export enabler.
At the policy level, Algeria’s National Hydrogen Development Strategy outlines a phased roadmap from pilot projects to large-scale industrialization between 2023 and 2050 [11]. Desalination must be fully embedded within this strategy as a core enabling infrastructure rather than a peripheral utility. Planning future desalination expansions with dual-use potential for potable and industrial water, including hydrogen, will optimize public investment and create synergies across sectors.
Moreover, desalination-driven hydrogen development can stimulate domestic industrial value chains. Local manufacturing of membranes, pumps, pressure vessels, and control systems for desalination and electrolysis could generate skilled employment and technological learning. Coupled with renewable energy deployment, this integrated approach supports economic diversification beyond hydrocarbons, aligning with broader sustainable development goals.
Of course, significant challenges remain. Financing large-scale hydrogen and desalination infrastructure requires multi-billion-dollar investments. Estimates suggest that Algeria’s hydrogen export ambitions could require around 25 billion USD in cumulative investment by 2040 [11]. Mobilizing this capital will depend on stable regulatory frameworks, green certification schemes aligned with European standards, long-term offtake agreements, and international partnerships.
Yet, the fundamental message is clear: in Algeria, green hydrogen cannot be discussed without desalination. Water scarcity is not a marginal constraint; it is a structural reality. By proactively integrating desalination into hydrogen planning, Algeria transforms a vulnerability into a strategic asset. Desalination, powered by the same renewable energy that feeds electrolysis, becomes a circular and synergistic component of a new low-carbon industrial model.
In the broader Mediterranean context, this integrated water-energy-hydrogen approach could position Algeria as a regional leader. Few countries combine such abundant solar resources, extensive coastal infrastructure, established desalination capacity, and direct pipeline connections to Europe. If managed sustainably, desalination-enabled green hydrogen could reduce carbon emissions, strengthen water security, enhance energy export revenues, and support industrial modernization simultaneously.
Conclusion
The success of Algeria’s green hydrogen vision will not depend solely on gigawatts of solar panels or kilometers of pipelines. It will depend on the coherence of its systemic design. By recognizing desalination as a strategic enabler rather than a secondary input, Algeria can build a hydrogen economy that is not only competitive, but resilient, climate-aligned, and adapted to its arid realities. In a warming Mediterranean region facing both energy transition and water stress, this integrated pathway may well become a model for sustainable development in the 21st century.
References
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