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Wi l l the dash for hydrogen
Will the dash for hydrogen

t sub-Saharan
ca?
benefit sub-Saharan Africa?
benefi
Afri

By Jonathan Gaventa, Senior Associate of E3G

Sub-Saharan African countries are major producers France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway,
of commodities used around the world, from oil Portugal, South Korea and Spain have all launched
and gas to copper, coffee and cotton. Hydrogen strategies or made major announcements on
has not featured among the region’s exports, but hydrogen.
as global interest in hydrogen surges, that could In response to this expectation of a fast-growing
be about to change. Yet, while the region has global market, a wave of new initiatives are seeking
considerable hydrogen production potential, the to tap the potential for sub-Saharan Africa to become
challenges facing hydrogen exports should not be a low-carbon hydrogen producer. A new African
underestimated. Ultimately, sub-Saharan Africa Hydrogen Partnership was launched last year to
may be better off using its hydrogen potential to bring together companies and associations active
50 power its own clean industrial development rather in the development of hydrogen markets and
exporting than it. infrastructure. Mapping for an ‘atlas’ of potential
Until now, the region has not been a significant green hydrogen sites in Africa has begun, supported
player in the development of the hydrogen economy. by Germany’s international development agency.
However, growing expectations for a global market A proposal to produce green hydrogen from the
in low-carbon hydrogen are changing this picture. massive Inga 3 dam in the Democratic Republic
As countries around the world commit to reach of the Congo for export to Europe is attracting
net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, many are international attention.
looking to hydrogen as a solution for hard-to-
decarbonise sectors such as heavy industry, aviation Theory versus reality
and shipping. When produced using renewable Hydrogen exports from sub-Saharan Africa could
electricity or carbon capture and storage (CCS), come in two forms – “green” or “blue” – but both
hydrogen can dramatically reduce emissions from pathways face hurdles.
these sectors. Green hydrogen is produced from renewable
electricity, using electrolysers. For green hydrogen,
More on AFRICA the large-scale solar and wind resource in sub-
Over the last three years, Australia, the EU, Saharan Africa means that in much of the region it

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