Washington D.C./Flensburg, 29/06/2023: The Atlantic Council hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on green hydrogen for Africa on 21 June 2023. Stefan Liebing participated in the event and gave his assessment of the topic discussed.
Although hydrogen energy is becoming an increasingly important decarbonisation tool, the high financial cost and carbon intensity of its production are significant barriers to its widespread adoption.
However, green hydrogen produced from water using renewable energy has a less carbon intensive production process. African countries, with their abundant access to natural sunlight, are in a unique position to benefit from green hydrogen production. Green hydrogen initiatives and internationally funded projects are springing up all over the continent, for example in Egypt, Mauritania, Namibia and South Africa.
In this emerging market, promoting transparency, increasing visibility and understanding the investment ecosystem are of utmost importance for the continent and for investors who want to reap the benefits of green hydrogen.
The event is motivated by the launch of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center’s Inclusive Climate Finance Working Group in April 2022 to bring together stakeholders, experts and policymakers working on an equitable energy transition for Africa. As part of this work, the Africa Center organises public and private briefings on pressing issues to raise awareness of Africa’s financing needs and improve public understanding of the opportunities and challenges of climate investment on the continent.
In addition to Stefan Liebing, the following speakers took part in the discussion round:
- Jean-Paul Adam
Director of Technology, Climate Change, and Natural Resource Management Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa - Sheldon Husselmann
Senior Project Developer – Environmental Planning and Management
HYPHEN Hydrogen Energy - Chigozie Nweke-Eze
Chief Executive Officer
Integrated Africa Power
The moderator was Aubrey Hruby, Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Africa Center.
Full replay of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vOk7DFMtck
More information: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/green-hydrogen-for-africa/