Global Energy Monitor (GEM) has warned that Africa’s rapidly growing green hydrogen developments may impede local energy access, as most large-scale renewable projects are geared toward European export markets rather than domestic electricity supply. According to GEM’s latest analysis, nearly two-thirds of the continent’s planned utility‑scale solar and wind capacity is assigned to green hydrogen production instead of strengthening Africa’s own energy systems.

The organisation’s assessment, based on data from the Global Wind Power Tracker and Global Solar Power Tracker, identifies approximately 350 GW of prospective utility‑scale renewable capacity across Africa. These projects, ranging from early announcements to those under construction, represent nearly ten times the continent’s current operational renewable capacity and are comparable to the 380 GW of solar installed globally in the first half of 2025. However, GEM reports that 61 percent, or 216 GW across 35 projects in countries including Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa, is specifically allocated to hydrogen production for European industrial and energy markets.

Concerns Over Feasibility and Equitable Energy Access

GEM highlights that 65 percent of the developers involved are European companies with no previous experience constructing infrastructure on this scale. Fewer than half of the hydrogen-linked projects have publicly available construction schedules and only one such project is currently operational in Africa. The absence of confirmed offtake agreements further questions the long-term viability of these initiatives.

Mauritania illustrates the scale of ambition and imbalance: the country has announced 79.5 GW of proposed wind and solar capacity dedicated entirely to hydrogen, despite having only 0.3 GW of renewables in operation. GEM notes that this equates to nearly three times the size of China’s Three Gorges Dam. Similarly, Mozambique and Djibouti, which operate just 0.1 GW and 0.06 GW of renewable capacity, respectively, have proposed 12 GW and 10 GW of hydrogen-linked capacity. GEM estimates that 12 GW of renewables in Mozambique could double national electricity generation, while Djibouti could reach European-level per capita energy consumption with around 3 GW.

Source:

https://solarquarter.com/2025/11/21/africas-green-hydrogen-push-risks-overshadowing-domestic-energy-needs-gem-warns-in-new-analysis/