“African countries must unite to establish a green hydrogen economy” – pv magazine International


Only by working together can African nations overcome the barriers to harnessing their abundant renewable energy resources and producing affordable green hydrogen – for use at home and in a European economy eager to grow. wean off Russian gas, an online event announced.

African nations must work together to overcome potential barriers to developing a green hydrogen economy that could fuel demand at home and in Europe.

That was the message given by Innocent Uwuijaren, chairman of the green hydrogen trade body, the African Hydrogen Partnership, at an electronic conference organized by the African Solar Industry Association (Afsia) to examine the prospects for establishing the production of the sustainable form of the energy carrier. on the continent.

“If Africa is able to maximize the opportunities before us, the key element is the alliance,” said Uwuijaren. “We need to come together in an alliance where countries work together under a unified platform and seize the opportunity and maximize it in terms of technology, finance and creating local opportunities for young people graduates in the hydrogen economy.”

The event was informed that obstacles need to be overcome to establish a green hydrogen economy in Africa, including access to technology and sufficient financing, training of a skilled workforce, putting in place supporting legislation and policy, raising awareness of the benefits of such an industry, and overcoming political and security risks.

But the rewards could be huge, with Uwuijaren pointing to recently announced plans by the European Union to source an additional 10 million tonnes of imported green hydrogen this decade – beyond its previously stated target – to reduce dependence on Russian gas following the latter’s invasion. from Ukraine.

Calling on some industry insiders for Africa to also establish industry further down the value chain, rather than just exporting cheap hydrogen for use abroad, Uwuijaren pointed out that the African green hydrogen could be stored on the continent for use as an energy storage medium and to power green manure.

The representative of the African Hydrogen Partnership highlighted the series of hydrogen projects already planned on the continent, including projects for production facilities in Egypt, Mauritania and Namibia; for a cluster of projects in a “hydrogen valley” in South Africa; for an ammonia site in Morocco; and an ongoing feasibility study at a green manure plant in Kenya.

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Eric Dabe, senior commercial adviser to Belgian mechanical engineer John Cockerill, told the Afsia event that fears of a global gas shortage are already prompting some energy-intensive industries to request electrolyser capacity to produce green hydrogen as an alternative energy source.

The Afsia e-conference was sponsored by the hydrogen unit of Chinese manufacturer Longi Solar, the European entity Get.invest; the African Hydrogen Partnership and Oenea Consulting based in Paris.

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