Redrawing the EU’s Energy Relations: Getting it Right with African Renewable Hydrogen

In this paper we will explore the state of play with renewable hydrogen development in Africa through some case studies from AGHA members, and the scope for growth moving forward. In so doing, we will address some of the prevailing challenges to build out of a clean hydrogen economy that could be foreseen already at this early stage and look for potential solutions, building on what is already in place in other sectors. We make the case that there should be four key areas of focus moving forward on African-EU hydrogen collaboration. Firstly, (i) foreign direct investment (FDI) should be de-risked through offtake mechanisms and public-private partnerships, (ii) flagship projects should lead the way, (iii) large parts of the value chain should remain in Africa, (iv) wider ‘democratisation’ and accessibility of the sector should be encouraged