Developers progress African green hydrogen projects with domestic offtake

While the continent could see a wave of export-oriented projects in the long term, developers such as HDF Energy and FFI are focusing on developments that could supply domestic power and agrichemicals

France’s HDF Energy is developing several projects in Africa with a focus on providing stable electricity supplies via hydrogen to domestic markets. HDF has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Zimbabwe’s state-owned ZETDC to construct a multi-megawatt green hydrogen power plant, dubbed a ‘Renewstable’ development, that will store energy produced by a solar farm as hydrogen to provide dispatchable power to the grid. The company expects to sign a formal power-purchase agreement in 18 months. HDF last year secured 2,000 hectares of land leases in former coal regions in South Africa to develop its green hydrogen power plants. It has also signed MoUs with Uganda’s energy mini