Green Hydrogen Energy: An Enabling Tool for the Economy of Power Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Green hydrogen has a large potential for decarbonization and is known as the resource that is most aligned with the objectives of carbon inactiveness scheme. The most important difficulty associated with any hydrogen project irrespective of the colour label is economic viability. Since hydrogen is corrosive as well as highly flammable, repurposing the oil and gas infrastructure for safety for hydrogen is costly. This paper encompasses the evaluation of green hydrogen as an enabling tool in Sub-Saharan Africa with focus on the economy of power sector. Sub-Saharan Africa is faced with several difficulties in meeting its increasing energy demands while solving environmental concerns simultaneously. Green hydrogen energy, produced through renewable energy sources, presents a viable solution to these challenges. An overview of renewable sources of hydrogen production which focuses on water splitting (electrolysis, thermolysis, and photolysis) and biomass (biological and thermochemical) mechanisms is presented in this study. The limitations associated with these mechanisms are discussed. The study also looks at some critical factors that hinder the scaling up of the hydrogen economy globally. Key among these factors are issues relating to the absence of a value chain for clean hydrogen, storage and transportation of hydrogen, high cost of production, lack of international standards, and risks in investment. The study ends with some future research recommendations for researchers to help enhance the technical efficiencies of some production mechanisms, and policy direction to governments to reduce investment risks in the sector to scale the hydrogen economy up.