Prospects of offshore hydrogen production in emerging economies

Document Type

Review

Publication Date

9-1-2026

Abstract

Offshore hydrogen production provides a promising solution of mitigating the intermittent nature of offshore wind energy by providing an energy storage mechanism via electrolysis. Offshore hydrogen has the potential to provide energy to West Africa and neighbouring countries. Although, the technology is at a nascent phase, the adoption rate indicates low readiness level in West Africa, a region with abundant renewable energy sources. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review is to assess the feasibility of offshore hydrogen production in the Gulf of Guinea from a technical, economic and system level perspective by with particular attention to existing initiatives, technology readiness level, and infrastructure deficiencies. The study will further focus on Nigeria's section in the Gulf of Guinea to give an idea of the readiness of this green hydrogen in Nigeria. The results of this study show that offshore hydrogen developments in the Gulf of Guinea are still at an exploratory stage with no existing projects yet implemented. The study concludes that substantial investment and strengthened regional collaboration are essential to foster early adoption. Finally, the study further emphasizes the importance of conducting detailed research into site-specific technical and economic factors to support future feasibility evaluations.

Keywords

Emerging economies, Energy storage technologies, Offshore hydrogen production, Sustainable development, Techno-economic feasibility

Publication Title

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

ISSN

1364-0321

DOI

10.1016/j.rser.2026.117002

Volume

237

Publisher

Elsevier

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