Green hydrogen demand sparks giga-scale renewables

September 29, 2025

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Africa’s hydrogen economy is becoming one of the most powerful drivers of gigawatt-scale renewables projects. This month, Namibia approved a 3 GW solar farm and South Africa cleared a 1 GW wind project, both for green hydrogen. Research shows early developments alone could add at least 60 GW of renewables capacity across the continent.

  • More than half a dozen African governments are positioning green hydrogen and ammonia as export products to decarbonise global shipping, fertiliser and heavy industry with the help of large-scale wind and solar at home. 

  • Namibia is among the most advanced players, having produced its first green hydrogen earlier this year at HyIron’s Oshivela plant. The facility is powered by a 25 MW solar farm and backed by 13.4 MW of battery storage

  • Our take: Green hydrogen is promising but could still move faster… Read more (2 min)

Seventeen African governments have endorsed National Energy Compacts at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum. They are joining 12 who pledged to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. Since launch, 30 million  have gained access, and over 100 million are in development pipelines to accelerate continental energy inclusion.

  • The Mission 300 initiative was created to address the energy access gap in Africa and accelerate the pace of electrification. Currently it is insufficient to meet the continent's growing population needs. 

  • Unlike previous efforts, it places African governments in the driver's seat. African leaders are designing country-specific plans that directly reflect unique energy landscapes and national development priorities. 

  • Our take: Though very ambitious, ratifying energy compacts is one thing, executing them is another… Read more (2 min)

The European Union (EU) has announced a $638 million funding package to accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition. The program will support electrification, grid modernisation and renewable energy expansion in nine countries. The bloc has recently increased investments to strengthen its role in Africa as US engagement declines.

  • Early investors in the renewables sector such as Norfund are seeing the first exits, boosting confidence in the market. 

  • Gulf nations have also ramped up investments, pledging billions of dollars in recent months and expanding their focus beyond North Africa.

  • Our take: Interconnecting may be unsung but deserves more investment… Read more (2 min)

SEforALL launches the Energy Compacts Annual Progress Report at the EnergyNow SDG7 Action Forum in New York

Events

🗓️ Register for unlocking the power of minigrids in East Africa (Oct 2)

🗓️ Participate in South Africa’s Sustainability and ESG Africa Conference (Oct 15)

🗓️ Be at Zambia’s ZimZam 2025: Driving Investment Partnerships For Southern Africa’s Power Development event (Nov 26)

Jobs 

⚙️ Join Ashipa Electric as a Senior Power Systems Engineer (Nigeria)

👷🏽 Apply for Sun King’s Quality Control Operator position (Kenya)

👷🏻‍♀️ Become Power for All’s Software Integration Project Manager (Madagascar)

Various 

💰 Nedbank invests $28 million in a cleantech fund.

⚡ UNKI Mines seeks a license for a 10.6MW solar PV plant in Zimbabwe

🌀 Cameroon to evaluate financial aspects of the Nachtigal Hydropower Dam

💡 ENGIE Africa celebrates with Belgian Chamber of Commerce in South Africa

Seen on LinkedIn 

Amara Irobi, Partnerships Manager at CEESOLAR, says, “While renewable energy financing, investments, developments, and model structuring are topics I deeply enjoy, I am particularly fascinated by the Solar Securitisation strategy.”