Europe’s push for hydrogen diverts solar and wind potential from Africa

Global Energy Monitor reports that 216 GW of proposed green hydrogen projects in 11 African countries are primarily designed for export to Europe, despite a lack of established markets, funding, and infrastructure. The analysis highlights a disconnect between these massive, often hypothetical projects and the urgent need for domestic electrification, noting that 61% of prospective utility-scale wind and solar projects in Africa are earmarked for hydrogen. While small-scale distributed solar and wind projects have successfully improved energy access, the large-scale hydrogen push risks creating stranded assets and depleting local water resources without providing significant local economic value.

• A significant majority of Africa's prospective utility-scale renewable energy capacity is dedicated to green hydrogen production for export, rather than domestic use.
• The scale of proposed hydrogen projects in some African nations is vastly disproportionate to their existing energy infrastructure, making them appear unrealistic.
• Green hydrogen projects in Africa face severe viability challenges, including a lack of committed buyers (offtakers), missing completion timelines, and insufficient funding.
• The export-led hydrogen model provides limited local value and risks creating infrastructure that is inefficient or obsolete.
• Large-scale hydrogen production threatens local resources, specifically fresh water, in water-scarce regions.
• Small-scale, distributed renewable energy projects are more effective and proven at addressing Africa's energy access gap than large-scale hydrogen.

APA

Macuga, J., O'Malia, K., & Smith, J. (2025). Europe’s push for hydrogen diverts solar and wind potential from Africa. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-Africa-Hydrogen-Briefing-Nov2025_3.pdf

Chicago

Macuga, Julie, Kasandra O'Malia, and Janna Smith. Europe’s push for hydrogen diverts solar and wind potential from Africa. Global Energy Monitor, 2025. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-Africa-Hydrogen-Briefing-Nov2025_3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Macuga |first1=Julie |last2=O'Malia |first2=Kasandra |last3=Smith |first3=Janna |title=Europe’s push for hydrogen diverts solar and wind potential from Africa |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=November 2025 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-Africa-Hydrogen-Briefing-Nov2025_3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{macuga2025europes, author = {Macuga, Julie and O'Malia, Kasandra and Smith, Janna}, title = {{Europe’s push for hydrogen diverts solar and wind potential from Africa}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-Africa-Hydrogen-Briefing-Nov2025_3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }