Africa’s moment to lead the hydrogen revolution lies beneath our feet
- Professor Thokozani Majozi and Caroline Kaitano
Geologic hydrogen can help Africa leapfrog into an energy-secure future.
The simple gas, hydrogen, has been hailed as a miracle fuel for over two centuries. Hydrogen is clean, abundant, and energy-dense. From powering rockets in the Apollo missions to fuelling visions of zero-emissions transport, it has flitted in and out of the energy spotlight through the years, always promising more than it delivered. Until now.
With today’s challenges, stemming mainly from climate change and disruptive environmental patterns, the idea of hydrogen as a fuel is back at centre stage, this time with serious momentum. Climate change is no longer a future threat, but a current emergency. While up to now, most of the buzz has centred around green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis using renewable electricity, green hydrogen is expensive, water-intensive, and infrastructure-heavy. Invariably, these factors limit its viability, especially in the developing world.
While hydrogen itself is invisible regardless of its colourful classifications, the various types reflect dramatically different production methods and environmental impacts.
Most hydrogen today is "grey," produced cheaply from fossil fuels through steam methane reforming but releasing significant CO₂ emissions. "Blue" hydrogen uses the same fossil fuel sources but incorporates carbon capture and storage to trap emissions, though it still relies on hydrocarbons and raises concerns about methane leaks.
"Turquoise" hydrogen splits methane through thermal pyrolysis, eliminating CO₂ emissions and producing valuable solid carbon, yet remains dependent on natural gas. "Purple" hydrogen uses nuclear-powered electrolysis to split water, offering zero-carbon production but facing challenges from high costs, nuclear waste disposal, and public opposition.
"Green" hydrogen, considered the gold standard, electrolyses water using renewable energy sources like solar and wind, making it environmentally sustainable and aligned with net-zero goals, though it remains expensive and water-intensive, requiring 9-18 litres of freshwater per kilogram produced—creating challenges in water-scarce regions. This complex landscape sets the stage for geologic or "gold" hydrogen to potentially transform the industry.
Geologic hydrogen is a natural, low-cost, and renewable form of hydrogen produced deep within the Earth’s crust by geochemical reactions. Extracting and producing geologic hydrogen is not science fiction. It is already being done in various places in the world. For instance, it is already powering a village in Mali, on the African continent. Elsewhere, a massive natural reservoir was recently discovered in France, and promising explorations are emerging from South Africa, Namibia, Brazil, Australia, and the U.S.
What makes geologic hydrogen compelling as a fuel source for Africa is that it offers the continent, and especially South Africa, a once-in-a-generation opportunity not just to participate in the energy transition, but to lead it.
Unlike green hydrogen, geologic hydrogen doesn’t require vast water resources or massive investment in electrolysis infrastructure to produce it. It can be explored and extracted using many of the same tools developed by the oil and gas industry, such as seismic imaging, drilling and reservoir modelling. This creates an ideal opportunity for countries with fossil fuel expertise and infrastructure to pivot to a zero-emission, eco-friendly alternative.
Geologic hydrogen could be produced at a fraction of the cost of green hydrogen. Current estimates put production costs of green hydrogen between $3 and $6 per kilogram (about R55 to R110). On the contrary, early assessments suggest that geologic hydrogen could come in as low as $0.5 to $1 per kilogram (R10 to R18). For Africa, where cost and infrastructure limitations have historically slowed energy development, this changes everything.
But the real significance of geologic hydrogen goes beyond cost and technology. It offers a chance for Africa to break with the pattern of energy colonialism. Geologic hydrogen could electrify rural areas, power local industries, and reduce dependence on costly fuel imports. It could even allow African nations to shift from exporting raw materials to exporting value-added clean fuels. With geologic hydrogen, we have a chance to build a clean energy system that is rooted in African resources, African innovation, and African leadership.
To seize this opportunity, we need more than good geology. We need smart, inclusive policy and targeted investment. Governments must fund geological surveys and exploration pilots, build enabling regulatory environments, and offer incentives that de-risk private sector involvement. Crucially, these efforts must involve and benefit local communities, thereby ensuring that hydrogen becomes a tool for broad-based development, not just elite enrichment.
Academia also has a vital role to play. We must train the next generation of African hydrogen geochemists, process engineers, and policy experts. Universities and research institutions should be central in building the knowledge base, conducting resource mapping, and shaping hydrogen policy. More importantly, regional collaboration will be key. African countries must work together to establish a coherent strategy that aligns clean energy goals with climate justice and economic equity.
There is urgency here. Global interest in geologic hydrogen is growing fast. If Africa does not move decisively, it risks once again becoming a passive supplier to wealthier nations with more capital and technological capacity. However, if we act now, and act with clarity, courage, and coordination, we can define a new energy future on African terms.
Geologic hydrogen won’t shimmer like solar panels or spin like wind turbines. It’s a quiet, hidden resource. But it may be the most transformative energy opportunity Africa has ever seen. Let’s not wait for the world to lead us. Let’s lead the world.
This article was first published in Business Day. Read the original story here.
For a more detailed insight into this topic, read the full Hydrogen article here.