Africa Partial Oxidation Blue Hydrogen Projects

early commercial phase with project pipeline

The Africa Partial Oxidation Blue Hydrogen market is in an early commercial phase with less than 50 ktpa operational capacity in 2026, expected to expand rapidly to 1.2–2.0 Mtpa by 2035. The projects leverage Africa's natural gas reserves combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) to produce low-carbon hydrogen. The project pipeline includes over 25 announced projects with a combined potential capacity of 3.5–5.0 Mtpa, primarily in South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, and Mozambique. Key applications include refinery hydrogen supply, ammonia and fertilizer production, and industrial heat and power co-generation. Challenges include CO2 transport and storage network access, oxygen supply constraints, and regulatory frameworks. Major players include Sasol, TotalEnergies, Shell, Eni, and technology licensors like Air Liquide, Linde, and Air Products.