Africa Oil Week Energy has listed the Green Hydrogen Project among the top 10 energy infrastructures to watch in 2024.
Namibia wants to establish its leadership over Africa’s future hydrogen market with a US$9.4bn project to produce green hydrogen from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, in the Tsau Khaeb National Park near the coastal town of Luderitz.
It will cover an area of 4,000 square km and have a capacity of 300,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year.
The project is part of Namibia’s strategy to become a green hydrogen superpower and a leader in the global energy transition. Green hydrogen, made by splitting water molecules using electricity from renewable sources, is a clean and versatile energy carrier that can decarbonise various sectors – including industry, electricity, and transport.
The project, whose feasibility and implementation agreement was signed last year, is led by Hyphen Energy. It has received support from the Namibian government, which granted it the right to operate for 40 years.
Its initial phase is expected to start production before 2026.
Africa faces a substantial infrastructure challenge.
According to the African Development Bank, Africa must allocate US$130bn to US$170bn annually to bridge its infrastructure deficit while grappling with a financing shortfall ranging from US$68bn to US$108bn. This impedes both its economic and social progress on the back of a persisting energy deficit.
Most African countries are raising capital and attracting investments to tackle this challenge by launching ambitious energy, transport, and industry projects. Some projects are expected to bear fruit in 2024, while others may face delays or uncertainties.
Another project is the Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project, Mozambique, which is progressing with its new 1,500-megawatt (MW) dam on the Zambezi River, 60km downstream of the existing Cahora Bassa dam.
The US$5bn project has been in the works since 1998 and received a big boost last year following the signing of the joint development agreement between EDF (40%), TotalEnergies (30%) and Sumitomo Corporation (30%).
Mphanda Nkuwa will be one of Africa’s biggest hydropower and will start with the first turbine in operation in 2031.
The other one is the Mauritania-Mali transmission line – a US$900m project to build a 1,373km high-voltage power line between Mauritania and Mali, with a capacity of 600MW. It also includes a 50MW solar plant in Kiffa, Mauritania, and the connection of 100,000 new households to the grid.
There is also the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, which passes through 13 West African countries along the Atlantic coast. The 5,600km pipeline will carry natural gas from Nigeria’s Niger Delta to Morocco and Europe, passing through 13 African countries along the Atlantic coast. It was announced in 2016 and is expected to cost $25 billion. It will have a capacity of 10 billion cubic metres a year.
The US$4 billion Lake Albert refinery in Uganda’s Hoima district is part of Uganda’s vision to develop its oil and gas sector, including the EACOP pipeline to export oil to Tanzania.
With oil production slated to commence in 2025, Uganda is banking on the refinery to process a portion of its crude and stimulate job creation.
The Redstone concentrated solar power project in South Africa.
The 100MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant built in the Humansrus solar park could finally be commissioned in 2024.
The US$5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Lake Albert oil fields to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. The 1.443km project was announced in 2013 and is expected to cost $5 billion, with a daily capacity of 216,000 barrels.
The Julius Nyerere hydropower project, with a capacity of 2,115MW, will be one of Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dams once commissioned this year.
The Tanzanian government owns and finances the project and contracted to a joint venture of Egyptian companies, Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric.
South Africa also has the Richards Bay LNG terminal project in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The multimillion-dollar facility is expected to have an annual capacity of 1 million metric tonnes of LNG, with the potential for expansion to 5 million metric tonnes by 2036.
The last project is the Noor Midelt solar complex in Morocco. It is a
landmark and hybrid solar power plant in the Midelt province of Morocco that combines concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) technologies. It is expected to cost US$2.4 billion and have a capacity of 800MW.
