Germany and Italy join forces to build pipeline across Alps
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Italy and Germany are to build a gas and hydrogen pipeline across the Alps in a bid to shore up energy supplies in the wake of the war in Ukraine, the two countries’ leaders announced on Wednesday.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, said the project would “strengthen long-term supply, security and transformation” during a bilateral meeting in Berlin with Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister.
Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany has been anxious to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.
The proposed pipeline will bring supplies from North Africa, up through Italy, across Austria and into southern Germany.
It would enable the import of 10 million tons of hydrogen by 2030, according to German media reports.
“We agree that we want to expand our energy co-operation in order to strengthen long-term supply, security and transformation,” Mr Scholz said.
“With a new pipeline across the Alps, we want to increase the security of supply of both our countries. At the same time, we want to quickly conclude a German-Italian gas and solidarity agreement.”
‘Emergence of a larger European hydrogen network’
Germany and Italy also want to promote the production of renewable energy in North Africa.
“The corridor also offers enormous opportunities for the import of renewable energy from North Africa and connects demand centres in Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, contributing to the emergence of a larger European hydrogen network,” a joint statement said.
The two leaders began discussing the project in June when Mr Scholz visited Rome.
At their meeting in Berlin, the pair agreed to work more closely not only on energy but also on migration, security and climate change.
They signed an “action plan” after a meeting of top officials from both countries and the two leaders’ participation earlier in the day in a virtual G20 summit.
The two leaders come from very different political backgrounds. Mr Scholz is from the centre-Left Social Democrats while Ms Meloni is head of the Right-wing Brothers of Italy party and leads a coalition of three Right-wing parties that took power in the wake of an election last autumn.
Germany’s stance on migrants and refugees, once so open under Angela Merkel, has hardened considerably recently amid complaints from local authorities that they cannot deal with an influx of asylum seekers.
Mr Scholz has said that he will closely study the deal that Rome recently struck with Albania in which migrants who are rescued in the Mediterranean will be taken to two processing centres that Italy will build in northern Albania.
Migration a concern for both leaders
“Italy’s geopolitical interests are converging with German interests,” particularly in Africa and the Balkans, said Francesco Galietti, a political analyst and the founder of a think tank called Policy Sonar.
Both countries are worried about the number of migrants trying to reach Europe from Africa.
“They’re both concerned about Russian influence in the Balkans and they are both in favour of EU enlargement,” Mr Galietti told The Telegraph.
Ms Meloni recently held meetings with the leaders of Slovenia and Croatia. “The message she wants to convey to the Germans is ‘I can be useful to you in the Balkans and Africa’,” he said.
Separately on Wednesday, both leaders took part in a G20 video call with Vladimir Putin during which they urged the Russian president to end the war in Ukraine by withdrawing all of Moscow’s troops from occupied territory.
“I called on President Putin to end his attack on Ukraine and withdraw troops from Ukraine’s territory, so that this war can finally end,” said Mr Scholz.
Ms Meloni said: “It is simply enough for Russia to withdraw its troops from the invaded territory.”
