Ensuring a Just Energy Transition through Hydrogen: How the G20 can Support Africa

The document argues that Africa is well-positioned to become a major global hub for green hydrogen due to its abundant renewable energy potential, strategic location, and existing infrastructure. It examines global strategies from the EU, Australia, and Chile, and highlights specific projects in South Africa, Namibia, Mauritania, and Morocco. The authors recommend that the G20 provide targeted financing for infrastructure, facilitate technology transfers for local value addition, and help establish stable offtake agreements and harmonised regulatory standards to prevent deepening energy insecurity in Africa.

• Africa possesses several competitive advantages for green hydrogen production, including its strategic location with over 100 ports along a 26,000km coastline, vast untapped renewable energy potential (with a combined potential of over 1TW), and established regional power pools.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can act as a powerful enabler for the green hydrogen economy by facilitating the movement of capital, people, and professional expertise, and providing landlocked countries with cheaper access to ports.
• Several African nations are initiating green hydrogen projects: South Africa is developing the Hydrogen Valley Project and Prieska Power Reserve (starting production in 2025); Namibia is planning a $9.4 billion project in Tsau //Khaeb National Park; Mauritania has a $40 billion project called AMAN; and Morocco aims to capture 4% of the global green chemicals market.
• To support a just transition, the G20 should provide financing for renewable energy and grid infrastructure to enable green hydrogen for both local industrial development and export, rather than focusing solely on the needs of industrialised countries.
• The G20 should facilitate technology transfers and local upskilling to ensure Africa achieves local value addition, such as the production of fuel cells, rather than merely importing capital equipment.
• The growth of the African green hydrogen sector depends on the establishment of stable offtake agreements, harmonised regulatory frameworks, and certification of origin to ensure equitable access to developed markets.

APA

Grobbelaar, N., & Ngubevana, L. (2022). Ensuring a Just Energy Transition through Hydrogen: How the G20 can Support Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Policy-Insights-122-ED-grobbelaar-ngubevana.pdf

Chicago

Grobbelaar, Neuma, and Lwazi Ngubevana. Ensuring a Just Energy Transition through Hydrogen: How the G20 can Support Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2022. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Policy-Insights-122-ED-grobbelaar-ngubevana.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Grobbelaar |first1=Neuma |last2=Ngubevana |first2=Lwazi |title=Ensuring a Just Energy Transition through Hydrogen: How the G20 can Support Africa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=January 2022 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Policy-Insights-122-ED-grobbelaar-ngubevana.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{grobbelaar2022ensuring, author = {Grobbelaar, Neuma and Ngubevana, Lwazi}, title = {{Ensuring a Just Energy Transition through Hydrogen: How the G20 can Support Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Policy-Insights-122-ED-grobbelaar-ngubevana.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }