Europe’s HyDeal eyes Africa for low-cost hydrogen link to Europe

A European hydrogen consortium is turning to West Africa in search of cheaper, cleaner fuel. HyDeal Ambition’s proposed pipeline linking Mauritania, Morocco and Spain could open Africa’s first direct export route for green hydrogen to Europe — if the economics stack up

A European consortium developing one of the world’s largest green-hydrogen projects plans to expand into West Africa with a proposed pipeline connecting Mauritania and Morocco to Spain in a move that could establish Africa’s first direct hydrogen export route to Europe.

HyDeal Ambition, a platform uniting more than 30 companies across the renewable-hydrogen value chain, is partnering with Morocco’s Gaia Energy to study large-scale production and transport infrastructure between the Sahara and southern Europe. The feasibility study includes a subsea pipeline and aims to align with the EU’s goal of importing ten million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.

The project’s founder, French energy executive Thierry Lepercq, is expected to outline details at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 summit in Dakar in December, where HyDeal will participate as a strategic partner. The Dakar meeting brings together governments and investors from Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea to discuss how West Africa can leverage new energy technologies alongside oil and gas development.

HyDeal’s model has already been tested in Spain, where the company is developing HyDeal España, combining 4.8 gigawatts of solar generation with 3.3 gigawatts of electrolysers to produce hydrogen at costs intended to compete with natural gas. Its expansion southwards follows a wave of renewable-energy announcements in Mauritania, including the proposed 30 GW Aman project and the 10 GW Project Nour.

“HyDeal Ambition’s participation at MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2025 highlights the growing momentum behind West Africa’s green-hydrogen drive,” Sandra Jeque, Project Director at organiser Energy Capital & Power, said. “With Mauritania and its neighbours advancing large-scale renewable and hydrogen projects, HyDeal’s integrated model and European experience will provide valuable insights into developing competitive, export-ready hydrogen value chains across the region.”

Industry analysts say Africa’s appeal lies in its low-cost solar and wind resources, which could make hydrogen produced there cheaper than in Europe, where land and power prices remain high. But the scale of infrastructure required — from desalination plants to trans-Mediterranean transport — means commercial deliveries are still years away.

If built, the Mauritania–Spain corridor would mirror existing plans for natural-gas pipelines under the Mediterranean, positioning the region as a long-term supplier of renewable fuels to European industries seeking to cut carbon emissions in steel, chemicals and shipping.

Lepercq has argued that integrated supply chains are essential to make hydrogen affordable. By linking production directly to transport and long-term purchase agreements, HyDeal hopes to reach prices comparable to fossil fuels — a milestone the hydrogen sector has yet to achieve.

For host countries, advocates say such schemes could diversify export revenues and accelerate investment in renewable power grids. Critics caution that large export-oriented projects may do little to expand local access to electricity unless parallel domestic programmes are developed.

The Dakar conference, running from 8–10 December, is expected to feature new memoranda on hydrogen cooperation and grid development. HyDeal’s participation gives the event a European dimension at a time when Brussels is seeking closer ties with African producers to meet its 2030 clean-energy targets.

READ MORE: ‘UAE breaks ground on world’s first 24-hour renewable power plant’. The UAE has begun construction on a US$6 billion solar-and-battery megaproject near Abu Dhabi — the first in the world able to deliver renewable power continuously, day and night — marking a major step in its plan to make clean energy the backbone of the country’s fast-growing AI-driven economy.

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Main image: HyDeal Ambition