No electricity, no light: “I grew up in an area where there was seldom electricity,” says Dr. Solomon Agbo. Instead, flickering paraffin lamps and candlelight lit up the dark evenings and nights for his family in their native Nigerian village.

“We need such a project for several reasons,” Agbo explains. There is climate change, which affects Germany just as much as Africa. “We can only stop it with the aid of renewable energies,” explains the physicist. After all, there is much more sunshine in Africa than there is in Germany. West and Southern Africa could produce enough renewable energy – and from it, in turn, green hydrogen – to supply their own countries as well as Germany. To date, the atlas already provides an interactive map showing the best production hotspots in West Africa. The ongoing project will continue to supplement it. “Once we have gathered all the information, we will know exactly in which places, in which regions, we will be able to produce green hydrogen in what quantities and, above all, at what costs,” Agbo describes. This is crucial information for German and African companies, but also for governments. Solomon Agbo holds a key position. As project coordinator, he is the German-African intermediary. He talks to the people on site while also knowing the mentalities of scientists and German authorities. The people from the African countries involved trust their compatriot: “They talk to me very openly. This is important because we have to take into account the interests of each individual country,” Agbo explains. For example, both water and land are needed for the solar plants and wind turbines to produce green hydrogen. Yet, it would not be acceptable if, as a result of their hydrogen production, Africans could no longer plant vegetables or have groundwater for irrigation or drinking. “We take these needs into account to ensure sustainable development,” Agbo emphasizes. For example, the decision was made to use mainly desalinated seawater for hydrogen production.