With the help of the government of Mauritania, HyDeal, and UCLG Africa, the European Investment Bank, the International Solar Alliance, and the African Union (AU) have released a study about the green hydrogen potential in Africa.
Harnessing Africa’s solar energy to produce 50 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year by 2035 can ensure global energy supply, create jobs, decarbonize heavy industry, boost global competitiveness, and improve access to clean water and sustainable energy.
Initial thorough research
The Africa’s Extraordinary Green Hydrogen Potential report is the first in-depth look at how green hydrogen could be used on the whole continent.
The new study looks at investment opportunities in three hubs: Mauritania and Morocco, southern Africa, and Egypt. It also gives a roadmap of technical, economic, environmental, and financial solutions to unlock commercial development.
Scaling up green hydrogen production to improve energy affordability
According to a recent detailed analysis conducted by international consultant CVA, large-scale green hydrogen investment can speed decarbonisation by allowing large-scale African energy users, such as fertiliser and steel industries, to use green hydrogen.
The research is made better by CVA’s unique strategic partnership with energy partners in Africa, Europe, and around the world.
The study shows that green hydrogen powered by solar energy is economically viable and can be made for less than €2 per kilogramme, which is cheaper than traditional fossil fuel energy. It can meet both local energy needs and be exported to markets around the world. This is the same as spending $60 per barrel of oil.
Commercialization roadmap for green hydrogen in Africa
- Private sector investment needs to be encouraged through national planning, regulations, and incentive programmes.
- Pilot projects need to show that green hydrogen can be made, stored, distributed, and used successfully on both a small and large scale.
- Green hydrogen needs market-based partnerships to be used and bought on a large scale in the United States and around the world.
- Increase cooperation to design, fund, build, and run infrastructure for making, storing, and distributing green hydrogen.
The new study shows how the production and transmission of green hydrogen can lead to a EUR 1 trillion investment, seven exajoules of energy (compared to Africa’s consumption of 19.9 exajoules in 2021), a massive increase in GDP, and hundreds of thousands of permanent, skilled jobs across Africa.
Large-scale investments in green hydrogen will change how clean water is supplied to areas that are often affected by drought and chronic water shortages. This will help communities become more independent. Decarbonizing Africa’s heavy industries.
The new study says that investing in green hydrogen could cut carbon emissions in Africa by 40%, which would be the same as replacing 500 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
A renewable hydrogen powerhouse on a global scale
According to the study, Africa will be able to send 25 million tonnes of green hydrogen to global energy markets. This is equal to 15% of the gas used in the European Union right now.
After the new analysis, more in-depth research will be done on the local investment potential of green hydrogen, regulatory requirements, and changes in demand over the next few months.
Info source – Bizcommunity