Policy tracker: Africa embraces hydrogen with continental strategy

From the newsletter

African nations have developed a continental green hydrogen strategy aimed at guiding the region’s participation in the global energy transition. At the same time, countries such as South Africa are introducing tailored national policies and frameworks to attract investment, stimulate innovation and advance their specific ambitions within the emerging green hydrogen economy.

• With vast renewable resources, Africa’s unified strategy allows the continent to pool its collective bargaining power, ensuring better access to international markets, investments and partnerships. 

• While the continental strategy is essential, individual countries must develop tailored national policies that will address unique energy landscapes, infrastructure needs and economic priorities.

More details

• In February 2025, the African Union adopted the African Green Hydrogen Strategy and Action Plan at its 38th summit, marking a pivotal step in Africa’s green transition. The Strategy aims to establish Africa as a global leader in the hydrogen economy by harnessing its abundant renewable resources, including solar and wind, to produce carbon-free hydrogen.

• The Strategy seeks to leverage green hydrogen for sustainable development, reduce reliance on traditional energy sources and drive economic diversification. By prioritising renewable energy, it aims to decarbonise energy systems, enhance energy security and create an environmentally resilient continent. Additionally, it emphasises cross-border collaboration, advocating for harmonised policies and regulations among African nations to enable large-scale green hydrogen production, maximising Africa’s collective potential in response to the global demand for cleaner energy solutions.

• In the same month, South Africa launched the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guideline for Green Hydrogen to support environmental experts in addressing the challenges associated with green hydrogen projects. The Guideline provides insights into the Environmental Authorisation (EA) process for Green Hydrogen (GH2) and Power-to-X (PtX) projects, offering practical solutions for managing potential environmental issues and ensuring sustainable project development.

• The Guideline targets Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs), specialists contributing to specific EIA chapters, policy makers, project developers and the broader civil society involved in green hydrogen projects. It equips stakeholders with the tools to assess and manage environmental impacts effectively.

• Alongside the EIA Guideline, South Africa introduced the Green Hydrogen Potential Atlas, an online geospatial tool that maps areas with high potential for green hydrogen production. By combining data on renewable energy resources, land use and infrastructure, the Atlas helps developers identify optimal locations for green hydrogen projects, further supporting South Africa’s efforts to align these initiatives with the country’s renewable energy and sustainability objectives.

Our take

• The African Green Hydrogen Strategy marks a decisive moment for the continent’s future, but success hinges on effective regional cooperation and the ability to overcome infrastructural challenges. 

• The success of the continental strategy will also largely depend on the efforts of individual countries to develop tailored, context-specific policies that address unique infrastructural, economic and environmental challenges.

• South Africa's proactive approach with the Environmental Impact Assessment Guideline and Green Hydrogen Potential Atlas sets a strong example. Other African nations should follow by creating similar frameworks to ensure that green hydrogen projects are developed sustainably and effectively across the continent.