Can Africa Serve Europe with Hydrogen Energy from Its Renewables?—Assessing the Economics of Shipping Hydrogen and Hydrogen Carriers to Europe from Different Parts of the Continent

Ephraim Bonah Agyekum (), Jeffrey Dankwa Ampah, Solomon Eghosa Uhunamure (), Karabo Shale, Ifeoma Prisca Onyenegecha and Vladimir Ivanovich Velkin
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Ephraim Bonah Agyekum: Department of Nuclear and Renewable Energy, Ural Federal University Named after the First President of Russia Boris, 19 Mira Street, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia
Jeffrey Dankwa Ampah: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Solomon Eghosa Uhunamure: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 652, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Karabo Shale: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 652, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Ifeoma Prisca Onyenegecha: Department of Communication and Media Studies, Cyprus International University, Cyprus, Mersin 33010, Turkey
Vladimir Ivanovich Velkin: Department of Nuclear and Renewable Energy, Ural Federal University Named after the First President of Russia Boris, 19 Mira Street, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: There exists no single optimal way for transporting hydrogen and other hydrogen carriers from one port to the other globally. Its delivery depends on several factors such as the quantity, distance, economics, and the availability of the required infrastructure for its transportation. Europe has a strategy to invest in the production of green hydrogen in Africa to meet its needs. This study assessed the economic viability of shipping liquefied hydrogen (LH 2 ) and hydrogen carriers to Germany from six African countries that have been identified as countries with great potential in the production of hydrogen. The results obtained suggest that the shipping of LH 2 to Europe (Germany) will cost between 0.47 and 1.55 USD/kg H 2 depending on the distance of travel for the ship. Similarly, the transportation of hydrogen carriers could range from 0.19 to 0.55 USD/kg H 2 for ammonia, 0.25 to 0.77 USD/kg H 2 for LNG, 0.24 to 0.73 USD/kg H 2 for methanol, and 0.43 to 1.28 USD/kg H 2 for liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). Ammonia was found to be the ideal hydrogen carrier since it recorded the least transportation cost. A sensitivity analysis conducted indicates that an increase in the economic life by 5 years could averagely decrease the cost of LNG by some 13.9%, NH 3 by 13.2%, methanol by 7.9%, LOHC by 8.03%, and LH 2 by 12.41% under a constant distance of 6470 nautical miles. The study concludes with a suggestion that if both foreign and local participation in the development of the hydrogen market is increased in Africa, the continent could supply LH 2 and other hydrogen carriers to Europe at a cheaper price using clean fuel.

Keywords: hydrogen energy; hydrogen carriers; shipping cost; Africa; boil-off gas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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