A pan-African green hydrogen hub was launched last week at a private university in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to foster the research, innovation, and funding needed to accelerate the continent’s transition to clean energy and tackle the climate crisis.
The Africa Green Hydrogen Hub, to be housed at Strathmore University, one of Kenya’s oldest private universities, is a collaborative venture between academic, public, and private sector institutions.
Isaac Kiva, secretary for renewable energy at the Kenyan Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, said that by leveraging its vast green hydrogen potential, Africa is poised to accelerate the transition to a just, inclusive, and resilient future.
“We must ensure that a just energy transition is attainable to boost Africa’s development. Green hydrogen and other sustainable energy systems will help connect over 600 million people in Africa who lack access to electricity,” Kiva said.
Kenyan President William Ruto launched the Green Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap in September 2023 on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit, vowing to implement it fully by 2032 to boost emissions reduction and create green jobs.
“The green hydrogen strategy prioritizes economic expansion, the generation of job opportunities, and the promotion of environmental stewardship,” Ruto said, adding that green hydrogen will boost food security and clean mobility in Kenya.
According to Kiva, large-scale production of green hydrogen in Africa will tackle energy poverty while enhancing the continent’s capacity to decarbonize its manufacturing, aviation, and agriculture sectors.
He added that Kenya aims to become a hub for green hydrogen production on the continent by leveraging public-private sector investments, collaborative research, training, and enactment of supportive policies.
Vincent Ogutu, the vice-chancellor of Strathmore University, said the launch of the Africa Green Hydrogen Hub is a game changer in the continent’s quest to attain energy security and net-zero targets.
He called for enhanced partnerships among African universities to facilitate research, the deployment of innovations, and peer learning, which are required to boost the uptake of green hydrogen.