Navigating Algeria towards a sustainable green hydrogen future to empower North Africa and Europe's clean hydrogen transition

Algeria, richly -endowed with renewable resources, is well -positioned to become a vital green hydrogen provider to Europe. Aiming to aid policymakers, stakeholders, and energy sector participants, this study embodies the first effort in literature to investigate the viability and cost-effectiveness of implementing green hydrogen production projects destined for exports to Europe via existing pipelines. A land suitability analysis utilizing multi -criteria decision making (MCDM) coupled with geographical information system (GIS) identified that over 43.55% of Algeria is highly -suitable for hydrogen production. Five optimal locations were investigated utilizing Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Electric Renewables (HOMER), with solar -hydrogen proving the most cost-effective option. Wind -based production, offering higher output volumes reaching 968 kg/h, requires turbine cost reductions of 17.50% (Ain Salah) to 54.50% (Djanet) to achieve a competitive levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of $3.85/kg with PV systems. A techno-economic sensitivity analysis was conducted, identifying Djanet as the most promising location for a 100 MW solar -hydrogen plant, with a competitive LCOH ranging from $1.96/kg to $4.85/kg.