Green hydrogen projects are multiplying across Africa, promoted as a driver of the continent’s low-carbon transition. Whether they can generate large-scale, sustainable employment remains an open question.

Green hydrogen projects are emerging as a pillar of Africa’s energy strategy, with major economic implications for the coming decades. According to an analysis published jointly by Masdar and the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week platform, drawing on McKinsey & Company data, a large-scale African green hydrogen industry could create between 1.9 million and 3.7 million direct jobs and add between $60 billion and $120 billion to the continent’s GDP.

By 2050, annual production could reach 30 million to 60 million metric tons, using Africa’s solar and wind resources to capture a share of the global hydrogen market.

Ambitious projects, but jobs remain uncertain

In recent years, projects have proliferated across the continent. According to the Africa Hydrogen Insight 2025 report by the Energy Industries Council (EIC), 78 green hydrogen projects have been announced in Africa, with a planned combined capacity of around 38 GW and nearly $194 billion in expected investment.

For now, operational output remains minimal. Only two small-scale projects are operating in Namibia, with a combined capacity of about 17 megawatts (MW), a fraction of the planned pipeline.

Namibia has emerged as a frontrunner through the Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project, which expects to create 15,000 jobs during construction and 3,000 permanent positions once the facility is operational. In Morocco, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills Younes Sekkouri said in 2024 that the sector could generate 300,000 direct jobs by 2030. Specialized training institutes are already operating in Oujda, Ouarzazate and Tangier to prepare the workforce.

In Europe, hydrogen projects are already generating industrial jobs

Several European initiatives have moved beyond planning to deliver tangible industrial employment. In 2024, Yara International inaugurated a 24 MW hydrogen facility in Herøya, Norway. The plant produces hydrogen used to manufacture green ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizers supplied to partners including the Swedish cooperative Lantmännen. The project supports on-site processing and logistics, creating jobs across multiple industrial segments.

The same year, RWE launched a 14 MW electrolyzer in Lingen, northern Germany, powered by renewable electricity. The hydrogen supplies green fuel vehicles and local industrial users. Operating the facility requires engineers, maintenance staff and technicians, while laying the groundwork for future expansion in both capacity and employment.

Building local skills to unlock Africa’s green jobs

As the transition to a low-carbon economy creates new opportunities for green jobs in Africa, limited vocational training remains a constraint. According to the OECD’s Africa’s Development Dynamics 2024 report, demand for technical qualifications in renewable energy, particularly hydrogen, is rising quickly. However, training capacity remains limited, and education systems struggle to match market needs, making it difficult to recruit locally for specialized roles such as engineering, electrolysis and industrial maintenance.

The job market reflects this gap. In October 2025, more than half of advertised hydrogen-related roles in sub-Saharan Africa targeted technicians and hybrid energy engineers — profiles that remain scarce on the continent. Several analyses note that companies often rely on foreign specialists to fill highly technical positions, highlighting the mismatch between available skills and industry requirements.

To close this gap, some companies are investing in local training. Vito Saluto, ESG head at AMEA Power, advocates community-based training and NGO partnerships. “If concessional funding for such education and training initiatives can be secured, these programmes could significantly increase the number of local professionals fully equipped with green skills and on-the-job experience,” he said, according to Reuters.

In Nigeria, renewable energy firm Husk follows a similar approach by limiting long-term reliance on expatriates. Its CEO, Manoj Sinha, said local workers “have to be trained to come to par with where we want them to be — and we have to invest in that process.”

Félicien Houindo Lokossou