Namibia
A Policy Review of Green Hydrogen Economy in Southern Africa
Nov 2021
Publication
Renewable energy and clean energy have been on the global agenda for energy transition for quite a long time but recently gained strong momentum especially with the anticipated depletion of fossil fuels alongside increasing environmental degradation from their exploitation and the changing climate caused by their excessive carbon emissions. Despite this Africa’s pursuit to transition to a green economy using renewable energy resources still faces constraints that hamper further development and commercialization. These may include socio-economic technical political financial and institutional policy framework barriers. Although hydrogen demand is still low in Southern Africa the region can meet the global demands for green hydrogen as a major supplier because of its enormous renewable energy resource-base. This article reviews existing renewable energy resources and hydrogen energy policies in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The significance of this review is that it explores how clean energy technologies that utilize renewable energy resources address the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs) and identifies the hydrogen energy policy gaps. This review further presents policy options and recommends approaches to enhance hydrogen energy production and ramp the energy transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to a hydrogen energy-based economy in Southern Africa. Concisely the transition can be achieved if the existing hydrogen energy policy framework gap is narrowed by formulating policies that are specific to hydrogen development in each country with the associated economic benefits of hydrogen energy clearly outlined.
Mapping Local Green Hydrogen Cost-potentials by a Multidisciplinary Approach
Sep 2024
Publication
S. Ishmam,
Heidi Heinrichs,
C. Winkler,
B. Bayat,
Amin Lahnaoui,
Solomon Nwabueze Agbo,
E.U. Pena Sanchez,
David Franzmann,
N. Oijeabou,
C. Koerner,
Y. Michael,
B. Oloruntoba,
C. Montzka,
H. Vereecken,
H. Hendricks Franssen,
J. Brendt,
S. Brauner,
S. Venghaus,
Daouda Kone,
Bruno Korgo,
Kehinde Olufunso Ogunjobi,
V. Chiteculo,
Jane Olwoch,
Z. Getenga,
Jochen Linßen,
Detlef Stolten and
Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs
For fast-tracking climate change response green hydrogen is key for achieving greenhouse gas neutral energy systems. Especially Sub-Saharan Africa can benefit from it enabling an increased access to clean energy through utilizing its beneficial conditions for renewable energies. However developing green hydrogen strategies for Sub-Saharan Africa requires highly detailed and consistent information ranging from technical environmental economic and social dimensions which is currently lacking in literature. Therefore this paper provides a comprehensive novel approach embedding the required range of disciplines to analyze green hydrogen costpotentials in Sub-Saharan Africa. This approach stretches from a dedicated land eligibility based on local preferences a location specific renewable energy simulation locally derived sustainable groundwater limitations under climate change an optimization of local hydrogen energy systems and a socio-economic indicator-based impact analysis. The capability of the approach is shown for case study regions in Sub-Saharan Africa highlighting the need for a unified interdisciplinary approach.
Green Hydrogen Production and Its Land Tenure Consequences in Africa: An Interpretive Review
Sep 2023
Publication
Globally a green hydrogen economy rush is underway and many companies investors governments and environmentalists consider it as an energy source that could foster the global energy transition. The enormous potential for hydrogen production for domestic use and export places Africa in the spotlight in the green hydrogen economy discourse. This discourse remains unsettled regarding how natural resources such as land and water can be sustainably utilized for such a resource-intensive project and what implications this would have. This review argues that green hydrogen production (GHP) in Africa has consequences where land resources (and their associated natural resources) are concerned. It discusses the current trends in GHP in Africa and the possibilities for reducing any potential pressures it may put on land and other resource use on the continent. The approach of the review is interpretive and hinges on answering three questions concerning the what why and how of GHP and its land consequences in Africa. The review is based on 41 studies identified from Google Scholar and sources identified via snowballed recommendations from experts. The GHP implications identified relate to land and water use mining-related land stress and environmental ecological and land-related socioeconomic consequences. The paper concludes that GHP may not foster the global energy transition as is being opined by many renewable energy enthusiasts but rather could help foster this transition as part of a greener energy mix. It notes that African countries that have the potential for GHP require the institutionalization of or a change in their existing approaches to land-related energy governance systems in order to achieve success.
Potential Financing Mechanisms for Green Hydrogen Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Aug 2025
Publication
Green hydrogen is gaining global attention as a zero-carbon energy carrier with the potential to drive sustainable energy transitions particularly in regions facing rising fossil fuel costs and resource depletion. In sub-Saharan Africa financing mechanisms and structured off-take agreements are critical to attracting investment across the green hydrogen value chain from advisory and pilot stages to full-scale deployment. While substantial funding is required to support a green economic transition success will depend on the effective mobilization of capital through smart public policies and innovative financial instruments. This review evaluates financing mechanisms relevant to sub-Saharan Africa including green bonds public–private partnerships foreign direct investment venture capital grants and loans multilateral and bilateral funding and government subsidies. Despite their potential current capital flows remain insufficient and must be significantly scaled up to meet green energy transition targets. This study employs a mixed-methods approach drawing on primary data from utility firms under the H2Atlas-Africa project and secondary data from international organizations and the peer-reviewed literature. The analysis identifies that transitioning toward Net-Zero emissions economies through hydrogen development in sub-Saharan Africa presents both significant opportunities and measurable risks. Specifically the results indicate an estimated investment risk factor of 35% reflecting potential challenges such as financing infrastructure and policy readiness. Nevertheless the findings underscore that green hydrogen is a viable alternative to fossil fuels in subSaharan Africa particularly if supported by targeted financing strategies and robust policy frameworks. This study offers practical insights for policymakers financial institutions and development partners seeking to structure bankable projects and accelerate green hydrogen adoption across the region.
Participatory Mapping of Local Green Hydrogen Cost-potentials in Sub-Saharan Africa
Mar 2025
Publication
C. Winkler,
Heidi Heinrichs,
S. Ishmam,
B. Bayat,
Amin Lahnaoui,
Solomon Nwabueze Agbo,
E.U. Pena Sanchez,
David Franzmann,
N. Oijeabou,
C. Koerner,
Y. Michael,
B. Oloruntoba,
C. Montzka,
H. Vereecken,
H. Hendricks Franssen,
J. Brendt,
S. Brauner,
Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs,
S. Venghaus,
Daouda Kone,
Bruno Korgo,
Kehinde Olufunso Ogunjobi,
Jane Olwoch,
V. Chiteculo,
Z. Getenga,
Jochen Linßen and
Detlef Stolten
Green hydrogen is a promising solution within carbon free energy systems with Sub-Saharan Africa being a possibly well-suited candidate for its production. However green hydrogen production in Sub-Saharan Africa is not yet investigated in detail. This work determines the cost-potential for green hydrogen production within this region. Therefore a potential analysis for PV wind and hydropower groundwater analysis and energy systems optimization are conducted. The results are evaluated under local socio-economic factors. Results show that hydrogen costs start at 1.6 EUR/kg in Mauritania with a total potential of ~259 TWh/a under 2 EUR/kg in 2050. Two third of the region experience groundwater limitations and need desalination at an added costs of ~1% of hydrogen costs. Socio-economic analysis show that green hydrogen deployment can be hindered along the Upper Guinea Coast and the African Great Lakes driven by limited energy access low labor costs in West Africa and high labor potential in other regions.
Optimizing Hydrogen Production from Wastewater-derived Sewage Sludge via Alkali-catalyzed Supercritical Water Gasification
Sep 2025
Publication
The increasing global wastewater generation and reliance on fossil fuels for energy production necessitate sustainable treatment and energy recovery solutions. This study explores supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of sewage sludge from municipal wastewater as a hydrogen production pathway focusing on the role of alkali catalysts (KOH K₂CO₃ Na₂CO₃). The effects of temperature (450–550◦C) reaction time (5–30 min) and catalyst type on gas yield and efficiency were analyzed. At 550◦C the highest carbon efficiency (61 %) gas efficiency (69 %) and hydrogen yield (41 mol/kg) were observed. After 30 min the gas composition reached H₂ (58 %) CO₂ (26 %) CH₄ (11.7 %) and CO (4 %). Among catalysts Na₂CO₃ exhibited superior H₂ yield (29 mol/kg) carbon efficiency (58 %) and gas efficiency (51 %). This study highlights SCWG as a viable technology for hydrogen-rich gas production contributing to sustainable energy solutions and wastewater valorization.
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