Namibia remains a “trailblazer” in the hydrogen space with up to five final investment decisions scheduled to be made in 2025 and 2026, demonstrating African leadership on the global stage, says hydrogen iron-ore producer HyIron.

At the recent Oshivela grand opening celebration, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah inaugurated the HyIron project, which achieved the world’s first zero-emission iron production plant breakthrough.

The HyIron team showcased how the Oshivela project can produce green hydrogen and use it to refine iron-ore, setting a carbon-free standard for steel production.

“We optimise the supply; we optimise power prices or the generation prices of our power. We do a lot of these things, a lot of this work now in preparation to reach this goal, because offtake will not be a question – if you can choose, for the same price, a grey or a green product, the choice will be obvious,” says HyIron MD Johannes Michels.

Hydrogen and its derivatives are key to fuelling Africa’s green industrial revolution: from decarbonising oil and gas, mining operations and heavy industry including cement, steel and heavy haulage, to transforming power generation, clean cooking and transportation.

The continent has a tremendous opportunity to harness its diverse natural resource mix to establish energy security for its 1.5-billion inhabitants, provide energy access to over 900-million inhabitants, enable clean cooking to those 600-million without, and become a global leader in green energy generation.

At the heart of Africa’s green transformation is the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area, both of which provide a blueprint for sustainable industrialisation, intra-African trade and value chain development.

Building on these frameworks, African leaders are embedding green principles into national and regional industrial policies to ensure economic growth does not come at the cost of environmental degradation.

“African countries have a unique opportunity to leapfrog traditional, carbon-intensive industrial models by investing in green industries that are climate-smart, resource-efficient and futureproofed. We are not just responding to the climate crisis, we are turning it into an engine of innovation, resilience and inclusive development,” says AU Infrastructure and Energy commissioner Dr Amani Abou-Zeid.

Renewable energy is at the heart of Africa’s green industrialisation strategy, and by harnessing its diverse natural resources through the increased adoption of renewable-energy sources including solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower, Africa can sustainably bring an end to energy poverty while unleashing large-scale green industrialisation.

Stimulating economic development through inclusive education and employment, and empowering societies to become more sustainable, equitable and resilient, hydrogen is more than energy; it is a catalyst to building green industries that can scale green economies, says Abou-Zeid.

As the world shifts on to achieving net-zero targets, Africa’s commitment to green industrialisation positions it not just as a beneficiary of the global energy transition, but as a key player in shaping the future of sustainable development.

The movement toward green industries is not merely about technology or finance – it is about equity, just access, and creating a brighter future for all Africans, adds Michels.

By building economies that are both green and inclusive, Africa is charting a bold path that could redefine industrialisation.

Asa champion of fuelling Namibia and Africa’s green industrial revolution, the sequel edition of the Global African Hydrogen Summit taking place from September 9 to 11, in Windhoek, Namibia, will aim to meet the challenges and fast-track the opportunities.

Held under the theme Ambition in Action: Fuelling Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution, the summit will provide a continuity of leadership and dialogue to drive partnerships for, and critical investments and financing into, bankable green energy projects of strategic and national importance across Africa.