Abstract
Africa’s energy paradox, abundant solar resources alongside widespread energy poverty, demands innovative solutions. This review introduces a novel integrated framework to evaluate hybrid photovoltaic (PV)-hydrogen systems, addressing a gap in the literature by synthesizing technical, economic, and socioeconomic dimensions. Analyzing 12 diverse pilot projects across Africa and recent literature (2018–2025), we find these systems can achieve electrolyzer efficiencies of 60–80% and a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of $1.5–5/kg. Case studies like Namibia’s Hyphen project (300,000 t H2/year for export) and Tanzania’s Kigoma Cooperative (powering 50,000 households) demonstrate scalability and community impact. Key innovations include using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier for agriculture and metal hydrides for safe rural storage. Despite barriers like high upfront costs and water scarcity, opportunities exist through localized manufacturing, blended finance, and policy harmonization under the African Union’s (AU) 2023 guidelines. This study provides a comprehensive blueprint for leveraging PV-hydrogen systems to achieve both energy access and climate goals in Africa.
