Tribes driven out, land grabbed, water used for industrial purposes instead of serving local populations. If they are carried out in the name of the fight against climate change and the decarbonization of economies, green hydrogen projects are also the subject of strong criticism from NGOs once they are implemented. in countries of the South. In Namibia, for example, where the German group RWE signed a memorandum of understanding in 2022 with the local company Hyphen Hydrogen Energy in order to export up to 300,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year, voices are being raised to denounce the fact that only 45% of the local population has access to electricity.
“In absolute terms, we are not opposed to green hydrogen projects, but what shocks us is that they are intended to secure the energy needs of countries in the North without often taking into account those of the South”denounces Hamza Hamouchene, Algerian researcher and activist at the Transnational Institute think tank in London, pointing out the fact that these projects are led by Western groups which own the technologies and capital: “In Namibia, the project is owned by German and British investors, and the Namibian government cannot go beyond 24% of the project’s shares”he regrets.
If Europe has set itself the objective of importing 300 terawatt hours (TWh) of hydrogen from renewable electricity by 2030, North Africa is currently producing only 150 TWh of hydrogen. electricity, almost entirely of fossil origin. “These countries will need strong electricity capacity to decarbonize themselves, in addition to additional resources to export”adds Ines Bouacida, researcher at the Institute for Sustainable and Responsible Development.
“A way to reshuffle the cards”
In his opinion, however, hydrogen exchanges will undoubtedly first develop at the intra-European level. In a second time, “we must succeed in meeting the dual challenge of access to energy for developing countries and decarbonization for their energy system and ours”continues this expert, who also sees it as a favorable opportunity for these countries: “The industrial chain is very unbalanced globally, and hydrogen can be a way to reshuffle the cards”she assures.
For their part, countries promoting such exchanges cite the need for co-construction. “On colonialism, Germany responds that the projects will not draw electricity from the network but from dedicated renewable energy infrastructure, that this will create employment and value locally”reports Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega, director of the energy and climate center at the French Institute of International Relations. “And that, of course, attention will be paid to the fact that these countries have a decarbonization and development plan which is also supported”he adds.
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