article · International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
This study explores the potential for green hydrogen production in African countries using solar and wind energy to power water electrolysers. It estimates electricity and hydrogen production costs, carbon dioxide mitigation, and the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for each country by 2030. Findings indicate that solar-based hydrogen production generally surpasses wind-based production. The LCOH for solar systems ranges from $4.6 to $7.31 per kilogram, with Namibia and Egypt showing the lowest costs. For wind systems, LCOH ranges from $5.6 to over $20 per kilogram, with Cape Verde and Djibouti having the lowest. Significant LCOH reductions are projected by 2030 for both technologies. The research also identifies adsorption-based atmospheric water as a viable water source for arid regions.
This research is important because it quantifies Africa's potential to produce green hydrogen using its abundant solar and wind resources. This could help meet the continent's growing energy demands, foster economic development, and significantly contribute to global carbon dioxide mitigation efforts, offering a sustainable energy pathway.
This is early-stage research providing foundational data on the economic viability and environmental benefits of green hydrogen production in African countries. The cost estimations and CO2 mitigation figures could inform policy decisions, attract investment in renewable energy infrastructure, and guide the development of large-scale green hydrogen projects. The abstract does not indicate specific commercial products or immediate market applications.
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Africa possesses a profusion of renewable energy resources that can address the continent's need for electricity to foster economic development and achieve international objectives for carbon dioxide mitigation. Green hydrogen stands out as promising among the plethora of available energy production, transportation, and storage technologies. The current study offers a general outlook on green hydrogen production utilizing solar and wind energies powering the water electrolyzers. This analysis estimates the electricity production and its production cost, hydrogen production and production cost, carbon dioxide mitigation, and estimation of the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) by 2030 in each African country. The results reveal that hydrogen production from solar energy outweighs that from wind. The minimum and maximum power consumption are 64.26–65.46 kWh/kgH2 for the PV/H2 system and 53.62–64.8 kWh/kgH2 for the WT/H2 system. Moreover, the LCOH ranges from 4.6 to 7.31 $/kg for the PV/H2 system and 5.6 to more than 20 $/kg for the WT/H2 system. Namibia and Egypt have significant LCOH of the PV/H2 system with 4.6 and 4.64 $/kg, while Cape Verde and Djibouti have remarkable LCOH of 5.6 and 6.37 $/kg of the WT/H2 system. The percentage reduction in LCOH is 25.23% for the WT/H2 system and 37% for the PV/H2 system due to adopting the 2030 cost scenario. Moreover, adsorption-based atmospheric water is considered a suitable solution for water supply in arid regions. Finally, the CO2 mitigation ranges from 109.8 to 177.7 kg/m2 for the PV/H2 and 0.1–50.4 kg/m2 for the WT/H2.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.04.272
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