Germany accelerates African energy diplomatic push to secure natural gas and green hydrogen

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has conducted high-level talks in Mauritania aimed at securing “energy imports,” signaling a continued expansion of Berlin’s diplomatic and economic outreach across Africa.

The initiative seeks to secure natural gas and green hydrogen from the African continent to compensate for structural deficits in Germany’s energy imports from Russia and the Persian Gulf, which have been severely disrupted by conflict.

According to a report by German Foreign Policy, the German minister held discussions in Mauritania on Monday focusing, among other agenda items, on future green hydrogen imports. Mauritania is currently positioning itself to become a primary hub for the green hydrogen economy in West Africa.

Following his talks in Nouakchott, Wadephul is scheduled to arrive in Nigeria today, where Berlin expects to secure deliveries of both green hydrogen and natural gas.

The diplomatic push follows meetings last week between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Berlin is actively seeking to procure both natural gas and green hydrogen from Algeria.

However, critics have sharply condemned the strategy—which includes the construction of a major hydrogen pipeline beneath the Mediterranean Sea—labeling it a “neo-colonial project.” Detractors argue that the initiative risks exploiting the resources of the Global South at the direct expense of local economic development.

From Berlin’s perspective, these steps have become geopolitically non-negotiable. Intense systemic competition with Russia and the US-led conflict against Iran have severely threatened and disrupted Germany’s established raw material and energy supply chains.

Algeria’s strategic importance to Germany grows

Algeria is rapidly emerging as an increasingly critical natural gas supplier for Germany.

The North African nation holds the second-largest proven natural gas reserves on the continent after Nigeria, and stands as Africa’s largest exporter of natural gas.

Furthermore, Algeria is Europe’s second-largest supplier of pipeline gas, utilizing two major pipeline networks stretching north across the Mediterranean Sea: one terminating in Spain, and the other in Italy.

In addition to pipeline infrastructure, Algeria exports liquefied natural gas (LNG). In early July, the Wilhelmshaven 1 gas terminal received its maiden shipment of Algerian LNG from the state-owned energy enterprise Sonatrach, with subsequent deliveries expected to follow.

These Algerian shipments are helping Berlin reduce its heavy reliance on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) gas imported from the US. Last year, US-sourced LNG accounted for 96% of all imports arriving at German LNG terminals.

At the same time, Algeria is advancing the construction of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. This infrastructure project is designed to transport natural gas from Nigeria, through Niger, and into Algeria, where it will connect to existing Mediterranean pipelines bound for Europe.

The pipeline’s projected transit capacity is up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.

Germany and the broader European Union are actively incentivizing natural gas imports from Africa. The strategy is designed not only to replace sanctioned Russian gas imports that are no longer available, but also to establish greater strategic independence from Middle Eastern gas supplies threatened by the conflict in Iran.

Africa’s role in the “green” transition

Over the longer term, Algeria is projected to play an even more significant role for Germany in the supply of green hydrogen—produced via renewable energy sources—which Berlin plans to deploy on a massive industrial scale as a foundational future energy source.

Berlin is currently planning multiple infrastructure projects to facilitate these green hydrogen imports. Chief among these is the “South H2” pipeline, designed to transport green hydrogen from Algeria through Tunisia and across the Mediterranean Sea into Italy, Austria, and Germany.

In Europe, the pipeline project is backed by a consortium of energy infrastructure firms, including the Italian pipeline operator Snam, Gas Connect Austria, and BayerNets.

The European Union has designated the pipeline as a “Project of Common or Mutual Interest” and has classified it as a flagship project of its “Global Gateway” infrastructure initiative, allocating corresponding EU financing.

To produce the requisite volumes of green hydrogen, Algeria plans to construct utility-scale renewable energy generation facilities.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed the project in detail last Thursday with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during the latter’s official visit to Berlin.

Merz stated that Germany, in cooperation with Italy, plans to “advance the development of the southern hydrogen corridor” in order to “intensify hydrogen exports” to Germany.

Intra-European competition in Africa’s hydrogen economy

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s current diplomatic mission to Mauritania represents a parallel effort to secure additional green hydrogen capacities.

Mauritania is actively working to transform its domestic economy into a regional hub for renewable energy-based hydrogen production.

One of the largest planned industrial developments in the country is being led by a joint venture comprising the German project developer Conjuncta, the Egyptian firm Infinity, and the United Arab Emirates-based Masdar Group.

The project represents a $34 billion investment aimed at installing 10 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity to produce green hydrogen earmarked for export to Europe.

This mega-project, known as “Infinity Power,” faces direct competition from a rival development named “Nour.” Initiated by Chariot Resources of the United Kingdom, TotalEnergies of France, and the Luxembourg-based Eren Group, the Nour project is also designed for 10 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity. However, this project is structured to prioritize Mauritania’s domestic energy requirements first, with only surplus volumes designated for export to Europe.

Prior to his arrival in Mauritania, Wadephul noted that the country “offers significant opportunities for renewable energy, particularly in the production of green hydrogen.”

While in Nouakchott, the Foreign Minister stated his intention to discuss “possibilities” for bilateral cooperation in “future technology sectors.”

Berlin seeks to reduce energy dependencies

Germany is also pursuing deeper strategic cooperation with Nigeria regarding both LNG and hydrogen. Wadephul is scheduled to arrive in Nigeria today for detailed consultations.

In November 2023, Germany and Nigeria signed a bilateral agreement under which Berlin committed to investing $500 million in renewable energy projects across the West African nation. In exchange, Germany secured commitments for LNG deliveries, with initial shipments scheduled to commence this year.

Much like the imports from Algeria, these Nigerian deliveries are intended to diversify Germany’s gas supply. They aim to further reduce Berlin’s reliance on US LNG, even as Germany phases out Russian LNG imports and navigates supply constraints from other traditional sources such as Qatar.

Furthermore, Berlin is evaluating the long-term potential of importing green hydrogen from Nigeria. In the autumn of 2023, then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Nigeria was not only “well-positioned” to supply Germany with the LNG “that we will continue to need in the coming years until the hydrogen market is fully established,” but could also become a “key actor” in Germany’s future hydrogen supply chain.

The German government has maintained an active “hydrogen partnership” with Nigeria for several years, which includes the operation of a dedicated “hydrogen office” in the country.

A “neo-colonial” project?

The planned hydrogen pipeline from Algeria to Germany has drawn sharp, systematic criticism from civil society organizations concerned about the geopolitical implications of the green energy trade.

In a joint protest declaration signed by 87 non-governmental organizations in March 2023, critics argued that hydrogen imports by Germany and other wealthy Western nations from Global South partners perpetuate an exploitative economic dynamic. They assert that the model prioritizes exporting domestic resources to wealthy Western economies at the expense of local populations.

Opponents contend that this framework “perpetuates the exploitative legacy of the past,” preventing independent development within Global South nations.

Critics also warn that the model strengthens multinational fossil fuel companies by enabling them to preserve legacy corporate structures through the construction of new pipelines and transport infrastructure.

They argue this occurs to the detriment of the Global South, where domestic economic development is systematically delayed by raw material extraction rather than the establishment of localized, high-value industrial supply chains.

Consequently, these organizations argue that the construction of the pipeline and the utilization of Global South renewable energy capacity for European consumption constitutes “a neo-colonial project.”

According to critics, this characterization applies equally to the other natural gas and hydrogen initiatives pursued by Foreign Minister Wadephul during his current African tour.