The African Hydrogen Partnership (AHP)—an association dedicated to the development of the hydrogen sector in Africa—has announced fourteen new members.

The new member firms include: project developers Cheranna Energy, HDF Energy, Ivoire Hydrogene, Hydroma and Mobility Africa Energy, hydrogen technology firms Bluenergy Revolution, Gencell, Hydrox Holdings and Hypowa, mining giant Anglo American, construction firm Jacob Lawren, electrolyser provider RTS Africa Engineering, fertiliser manufacturer Sable Chemicals and Port of Rotterdam.

Many regions in Africa offer great potential for producing low-cost green hydrogen, according to Innocent Uwuijaren, chairman of the AHP.

“African countries could leapfrog to the new age of hydrogen technologies,” he says. “Developing hydrogen economies in Africa will reduce the economic burden of importing costly refined fossil fuels, generate revenue streams from exporting green hydrogen as well as from sales activities of energy intensive industries while creating wealth domestically and supporting fair socio-economic development.”

The AHP says that green hydrogen could price diesel and petrol out of the transport fuel market between 2025 and 2030.

The organisation foresees that the first African hydrogen economies will begin with the construction of hubs along important trans-African highways and ports, and be rolled out from there.

Tried and tested models

African governments will likely grant concessions for the right to produce green hydrogen and export it to energy-importing nations, using the same model deployed for large oil and gas projects.

“Developing hydrogen economies in Africa will reduce the economic burden of importing costly refined fossil fuels,” Uwuijaren, AHP

High solar PV potential and the region’s proximity to demand centres in Europe make Africa the ideal candidate for green hydrogen production.

But geopolitics and civil strife could stymie projects, according to a research note from consultancy Verisk Maplecroft titled Political risk to curb African green hydrogen.

“Political and economic realities across the subregion suggest there are slim chances of it becoming a green hydrogen hub this decade,” Verisk Maplecroft says.

Two large projects have been announced in the region so far in Mauritania and Namibia. In Mauritania, Africa-focused energy firm Chariot has signed an agreement to carry out a feasibility study to evaluate the possibility of producing green hydrogen from wind and solar resources spread over a 14,400km² as part of a 10GW green hydrogen project.

However, the project currently consists only of memorandums of understanding. And the nation has historically struggled to attract overseas investment.

The Namibian government has signed a deal with developer Hyphen Hydrogen Energy for a green hydrogen project in the country to produce 300,000t/yr of the fuel.

Egypt is formulating a green hydrogen strategy, while Morocco signed a MoU with Germany in June 2020 to develop its hydrogen.

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Author: Tom Young