Tunisia advances green hydrogen plans as water cuts persist

Tunisia is confronting a widening energy deficit that now exceeds 60% of demand. To address the shortfall, the government has signed two major green‑hydrogen initiatives. The first, with Saudi firm Acwa Power, targets up to 600,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year for export to Europe. The second, called H2 Notos, is a joint venture between TotalEnergies, Eren Group and Austria’s Verbund, aiming initially for 200,000 tonnes and eventually up to one million tonnes, with projected investments of €8 billion to €40 billion.

At the same time, residents of Tazarka in the Nabeul governorate are enduring daily water‑supply interruptions that have lasted more than three weeks. The cuts, which begin around 9 a.m. and often do not end until late evening, have left households struggling to meet basic needs during a heat wave. The national water utility SONEDE has offered no clear explanation for the disruptions, prompting public frustration.

Both developments highlight Tunisia’s broader infrastructure challenges as it seeks to modernise its energy sector while coping with immediate water‑service problems.