Advanced national Atlas and Export outlook of green hydrogen: The Algerian case

Algeria combines exceptional solar resources with emerging European demand for low carbon molecules, positioning the country as a strategic candidate for large scale green hydrogen. This study develops a spatial decision support framework that links a national photovoltaic direct current yield (PV DC yield) atlas to a hydrogen production atlas, techno economic evaluation, and screening level environmental co benefits. Two PV configurations, horizontal and optimally tilted are assessed on a land normalized basis and converted to hydrogen production. To reflect deployment realism, the analysis applies multiple infrastructure and accessibility scenarios that differentiate feasible development envelopes. In addition, an export oriented outlook is examined to assess how Algeria could contribute up to 10 million tons of hydrogen per year (10 Mt H₂·yr−1) to European markets through alternative pathways, including pipeline based delivery, desalination supported water supply, and electricity export concepts, with explicit attention to water availability and sourcing. The maps reveal strong geographic gradients in PV productivity that propagate into hydrogen density and cost competitiveness. Optimal tilt systematically increases PV yield and hydrogen production density and reduces levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) across the territory, while scenario filters primarily reshape the reachable portfolio of low cost sites rather than the physics based ranking. For the modeled assumptions, LCOH spans approximately 4.6–5.2 €/kg H₂, with tilted PV delivering a consistent cost improvement relative to horizontal PV. Environmental indicators indicate substantial benefits versus grey hydrogen, with avoided CO₂ and natural gas displacement concentrating in the highest productivity zones. Overall, the atlas results provide an integrated evidence base to prioritize investment corridors, quantify trade-offs between resource quality and infrastructure access, and support export scale planning with water supply and electricity matching considerations.