Hydrogen corridors could redefine Africa’s industrial future

From the newsletter

Namibia and South Africa are working to establish shared green hydrogen infrastructure to support industrial transition, according to a Namibian government official. A cross-border pipeline is being planned to transport green hydrogen and ammonia from Namibia's Lüderitz region to South Africa’s Northern Cape for cleaner mining and industrial use.

• Lack of shared infrastructure has been widely recognised as a barrier to Africa’s green hydrogen economy, making it difficult to connect production hubs with regional demand and scale trade across borders.

• The African Green Hydrogen Report by GIZ published June 2025 emphasises the urgency of moving beyond fragmented national strategies toward coordinated continental action, noting that regional infrastructure is essential to achieving economies of scale and building resilient markets.

More details

• Speaking in a radio interview, Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme spokesperson Jona Musheko said, “We are looking at how best we can get green ammonia or hydrogen from Lüderitz to the southern part of South Africa, in areas like Boegoeberg, where they can be used in mining and processing.”

• Beyond South Africa, Mr Musheko revealed that Namibia is in active discussions with other African countries, including Botswana, Ghana and Kenya, to share technical expertise and build a continental green industrial ecosystem. He stressed that Namibia’s production capacity is expected to exceed domestic demand, making regional integration essential.

• “We are working together with fellow African countries because we may not be able to consume every green product we produce in Namibia. We should be able to share it with African countries and add value to our minerals together,” he said.

• Africa’s green hydrogen ambitions are growing rapidly, but most countries remain in silos. Despite multiplying production plans, the continent lacks integrated infrastructure or hydrogen corridors to connect supply and demand across borders.

• These corridors, networks of cross-border pipelines, transmission lines and storage hubs, are essential for building a truly regional hydrogen economy. This challenge was highlighted in the preliminary findings of a baseline study on green hydrogen potential in Eastern Africa, presented at the Green Hydrogen Symposium in Nairobi in May.

• This absence of physical connectivity undermines efforts to build scale. For instance, Namibia is poised to generate more hydrogen than it can use domestically. But without pipelines or trade-enabling corridors, surplus production risks being exported to Europe or stranded entirely, bypassing regional industrial users.

• A shared infrastructure backbone would allow hydrogen-rich countries like Namibia to serve demand hubs across Southern and Eastern Africa, boosting local value addition and improving regional energy security.

• The planned pipeline between Namibia and South Africa is among the continent’s first serious efforts to close this gap. If implemented, it could become a model for regional hydrogen corridors, linking production zones with hard-to-abate sectors such as mining, steel and cement. These corridors wouldn’t just move molecules, they’d transmit opportunity. Shared infrastructure can de-risk projects, reduce costs through economies of scale and accelerate industrial decarbonisation across multiple countries.

• Yet despite mounting interest, Africa still lacks any large-scale shared hydrogen infrastructure. Cooperation has largely remained at the level of policy dialogue or research initiatives. For instance, the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance comprising Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania has called for regional coordination but has not yet translated this into physical infrastructure or investment commitments.

• So why has progress stalled?

• For starters, the economics of hydrogen infrastructure are tough. Pipelines and storage systems require high upfront investment, long-term vision and intergovernmental coordination, none of which are easy in regions with fragmented regulations and divergent interests. This was another constraint identified in the baseline study. Moreover, infrastructure must follow demand. Without guaranteed offtake in destination markets, financing billion-dollar assets remains risky.

• There’s also a complex political economy at play. Many African countries are engaging in bilateral deals with European and Asian off takers, prioritising export infrastructure over regional integration. As a result, infrastructure plans often reflect external market interests more than African industrial needs. Without a shared continental vision, championed by institutions like the African Union, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA )and regional power pools, momentum for joint infrastructure remains limited.

• Yet the benefits are clear. Shared hydrogen infrastructure could expand participation in the hydrogen economy beyond just producing countries. Landlocked nations could access hydrogen for fertiliser and transport, and mining economies could decarbonise using regionally sourced ammonia. Over time, this would help build a resilient continent-wide market less vulnerable to global demand shifts.

• There are signs of progress. Namibia’s engagement with Ghana, Kenya and Botswana on technical knowledge-sharing suggests a shift toward pan-African collaboration. If paired with joint infrastructure development, perhaps using models from existing gas or electricity corridors, Africa could position itself not just as a green fuel exporter but as a hub for green industrialisation.

Our take

• If Namibia and South Africa succeed, they could offer a blueprint for regional hydrogen corridors elsewhere, such as in West Africa (linking Mauritania, Senegal and Ghana) or East Africa, connecting Kenya to Ethiopia.

• The next step is clear for Africa; it must invest not only in hydrogen production but also in connection. That includes building shared infrastructure, streamlining permitting systems and committing politically to a cross-border energy future rooted in regional integration.

• Africa’s competitive advantage lies in cooperation. By designing hydrogen corridors that serve multiple countries, the continent can unlock economies of scale, boost industrialisation from within and reduce dependence on external off takers.