Toward the Adoption of Green Hydrogen in Africa: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) required the world into an accelerated approach to achieving sustainability goals and decarbonisation. To achieve these goals, the key Green hydrogen (GH) presents such opportunity for Africa with high renewable energy potential to make financial gains and create job opportunities for its rapid population growth through GH production. A significant opportunity for economic and social advantages for Africa may lie in the production and trade of GH. Investigation into the use of GH is gaining attention among researchers because it’s a clean energy source and a possible substitute for fossil fuels. The quest for clean, eco-friendly, and sustainable energy sources has increased researchers’ interest in the production of GH. This paper examines the GH production in Africa, its prospects and challenges. A brief overview of the GH description, applications, types by methods of production, prospects, challenges, future projections and recommendations was stated. Applications for the present and future of hydrogen are adequately discussed to buttress African nations' potential for GH production hub centres and the prospect of exporting GH because of abundant renewable energy resources. Currently, the high cost of GH is the limitation for its utilisation despite the varieties of its application. To achieve the decarbonisation goal, there is a need to reduce the cost of GH production which can be achieved by collaboration between Africans and Europeans. More concerted research is required to ensure cost reduction, process improvement, and commercialization perspective.