Kenya’s hydrogen sector embraces new realism

June 01, 2026

Dear subscriber,

For several years, Africa’s green hydrogen conversation was defined by resource potential, ambitious project announcements and export opportunities. But as global investment conditions tighten and several flagship projects face delays, the sector is increasingly confronting a more fundamental question: what does a commercially viable hydrogen project actually look like? One set of answers comes from East Africa.

 Mercy Maina – Editor

Kenya’s hydrogen sector embraces new realism

The 4th Green Hydrogen Symposium in Nairobi highlighted a sector that is expanding while confronting the realities of project development. While announcements continue to grow, with Kenya approving 15 expressions of interest, discussions suggested the next challenge is translating project announcements into commercial operations.

  • Kenya is considered in Africa’s second tier of emerging green hydrogen markets, one step back from South Africa, Namibia, Morocco, Mauritania and Egypt.

  • While the symposium focused on Kenya, many of the discussions reflected broader realities shaping Africa’s evolving green hydrogen economy.

  • Our take: The hydrogen sector is starting to place greater emphasis on commercial realism……..Read more (2 min)

Q&A: Why geothermal could give Kenya an edge in green hydrogen

As African countries position themselves within the emerging green hydrogen economy, Kenya is leveraging its geothermal potential as a competitive advantage. According to Paul Wambugu of KenGen, geothermal’s high availability could improve production economics compared to models relying primarily on solar and wind power. 

  • Mr Wambugu is the Investment Manager at Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), the country's largest electricity producer. He is a key member of the team that is working to develop the first commercial-scale green hydrogen plant in Kenya and has since consulted with governments and organizations around the globe on implementing similar projects. 

  • “One key distinction between geothermal and other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind is availability. Geothermal is about 98% available, meaning electrolysers can be utilised much more consistently and you do not have to invest as heavily in storage,” he says.

  • Find the full conversation here (2 min)

Today Hydrogen Rising spotlights the five projects presented during the 4th Green Hydrogen Symposium held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in late May, ranging from tea, coffee and steel decarbonisation initiatives to sustainable aviation fuel production and green hydrogen industrial parks. 

  • Among the projects showcased during the symposium, the Green Hydrogen Innovations Centre (GHIC) at Nyeri Hill Farm stands out for having already secured first-phase financing. Most of the other projects remain at early development stages and used the conference to pitch for financing, strategic partnerships and investor interest. 

  • The GHIC project signed its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract during the symposium. 

  • Our take: Developers are being required to demonstrate commercial relevance rather than simply resource potential, with the projects attracting the most attention being those anchored around clear offtake opportunities and industrial demand.….Read more (2 min)

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Source: GIZ Kenya

Kenya launches Green Hydrogen Knowledge Management Platform

Events

🗓️ Attend the Arab-African Forum for Energy Finance in Senegal (June 4)

✅ Register for the RENMOZ 2026 in Mozambique (June 11)

🧳 Attend the African Green Industries Summit in Namibia (September 9)

 Jobs

🧑‍💼 Manage the procurement function at Phelan Green Energy (South Africa)

👷 Serve as an Environmental Specialist at Phelan Green Energy (South Africa)

🧕 Work as a Renewable Energy Financial Analyst (South Africa)

👷 Be the next Senior Legal Counsel at G7 Renewables Energies(South Africa)

Various 

✅ Morocco’s southern regions offer the lowest GH2 production costs, study finds

🤝 Hive Hydrogen lines up Topsoe electrolyser for South Africa ammonia project

🧑‍💻 China’s Guofuhee plans U$30 million investment in 1GW Moroccan electrolyser plant

🗣️ SA’s hydrogen economy needs to hit the road or be left behind

🧑‍⚖️ The impact of CBAM on Africa

Seen on LinkedIn 

Durand Naidoo, CEO of Linsen Nambi Group, says, “South Africa absolutely has an opportunity to participate in future green fuel markets, especially given its renewable energy potential and strategic shipping location. But the industry still needs to prove that these projects can deliver competitive energy at scale, not just attract ESG capital.