EPRA, under the leadership of Director-General Daniel Kiptoo, has introduced guidelines for green hydrogen production, aiming to facilitate potential investors interested in setting up operations in Kenya.
These comprehensive guidelines are intended to pioneer the green hydrogen sub-sector in Kenya, addressing the lack of a specific legal framework. They serve as a roadmap for initiating green hydrogen production and utilization, covering aspects such as defining sustainability criteria, streamlining approval processes, establishing a project monitoring framework, and promoting research and development in the field.
Derivatives of hydrogen
“These guidelines will facilitate the promotion of green hydrogen and its derivatives, promoting the production and safe handling of clean energy. This initiative could significantly enhance Kenya’s renewable energy sector, potentially leading to job creation, economic growth, and technological innovation,” Kiptoo said.
With several investors already approved for the development of green hydrogen and its derivatives, the government is further boosting this sector by creating a green hydrogen atlas and proposing Special Economic Zones. These zones, which can be established upon investor interest, offer enticing benefits such as tax incentives, making the sector even more attractive to potential investors.
In November 2022, Kenya unveiled a deal to expedite a 300MW green ammonia project, to be constructed by Australia’s Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) in Naivasha, near the Olkaria geothermal field, with FFI’s final investment decision expected last year. Leveraging its abundant renewable energy resources from solar, wind, and geothermal power, which constitute 92 per cent of its electricity supply, Kenya is positioned to establish a thriving clean energy industry focused on green hydrogen.
This production process utilizes renewable energy to extract hydrogen from water without disrupting existing electricity supply infrastructure.
