Green Tech Conflict in North Africa: Impact & Exploitation

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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Green Colonialism Impacts Africa: Old Game, New Name?

The global push for green energy holds promise. Yet, for Africa, it often looks like a familiar story. Systemic tensions are rising across the continent. Green colonialism and resource exploitation drive these issues. This isn’t just about windmills and solar panels. It’s about power, resources, and justice. Modern environmental projects can repeat old colonial patterns. They exploit the Global South’s resources for the North’s benefit. This happens under the banner of sustainability (Green Colonialism – DECOLONIAL CENTRE). History shows how European powers took resources and land. They treated nature as something to be bought and sold. Today, similar patterns emerge. Global South lands, like North African deserts, are seen as “empty” spaces. They become sites for huge solar parks serving primarily European needs (GREEN COLONIALISM BEHIND THE ’DECARBONIZATION CONSENSUS’).

European-led projects, like the Desertec initiative, show this dynamic clearly. These large-scale renewable energy plans risk becoming neocolonial resource grabs. They focus on extracting North Africa’s sun and wind resources. Often, local social and political realities are ignored (The energy transition in North Africa | Transnational Institute). Furthermore, this involves mining essential metals like lithium and cobalt. These minerals are crucial for batteries and green tech. However, extraction often displaces Indigenous communities. This happens in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo (Green Colonialism – DECOLONIAL CENTRE; Explainer: What Is Green Colonialism? – Earth.Org). This modern resource extraction mirrors historical colonial land grabs. For example, hydrogen plants in South Africa displace small-scale fishers and farmers (GREEN COLONIALISM BEHIND THE ’DECARBONIZATION CONSENSUS’).

Environmental Racism and False Solutions

Green initiatives sometimes bring environmental harm to specific communities. This systemic discrimination is known as environmental racism. Marginalized groups disproportionately bear the ecological costs. For instance, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects sound helpful. They aim to capture CO2 emissions and store them underground. However, these projects often require large infrastructure. In Gulf states, constructing CCS facilities has displaced Black and Indigenous communities (Greener on the other side?: Perspectives on green colonialism). Similarly, large desalination projects in North Africa pose risks. These projects can burden local communities with environmental damage (The energy transition in North Africa | Transnational Institute). These communities often lack the political power to resist.

Moreover, some green solutions are criticized as “false solutions.” Carbon offsetting schemes allow companies to continue polluting. They claim to offset emissions elsewhere. The Rima Raya REDD+ project in Indonesia is one example. Shell used it to offset emissions from tar sands operations. Meanwhile, local ecological damage was overlooked (Explainer: What Is Green Colonialism? – Earth.Org; What Is ‘Green Colonialism’ And How Do We Decolonise Policy?). CCS technology itself faces criticism for greenwashing. It can divert focus from actually reducing emissions at the source. Fossil fuel companies often promote CCS. It allows them to continue operations under a greener image. Consequently, the burden of pollution and risky storage falls on vulnerable populations.

Critical Minerals Conflict Africa: The Battery Scramble

Africa holds vast reserves of minerals vital for green technology. Lithium, nickel, and cobalt are essential for batteries. These resources are central to global supply chains. The lithium-ion battery market could reach $400 billion by 2030 (Africa’s green opportunity to be an industrial powerhouse). African nations want to capture more value from this boom. However, the global scramble for these minerals threatens regional stability. Competition is fierce, and frameworks for fair distribution are weak (Africa’s green opportunity to be an industrial powerhouse; World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2024). International mining policies often lack inclusion. They fail to protect Indigenous rights and Global South interests. For example, lithium mining plans on Paiute lands in Nevada proceeded without Indigenous consent (What Is ‘Green Colonialism’ And How Do We Decolonise Policy?). This highlights structural gaps that perpetuate inequality.

Some African nations are trying to move up the value chain. Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo aim to build battery production hubs. This could create jobs and boost economies. Nevertheless, they face immense challenges. Competing with established Asian and European manufacturers is difficult. There’s a real risk these hubs become dependent on exporting raw or semi-processed materials. This means the continent might not capture the full economic value (Africa’s green opportunity to be an industrial powerhouse). Financial tools sometimes worsen the situation. Programs like IMF Structural Adjustments can impose austerity. This can weaken local protections and enable resource exploitation, as seen in Morocco (Green Colonialism – DECOLONIAL CENTRE).

Renewable Energy Resource Competition: Infrastructure Conflicts

As green energy projects grow larger, conflicts over land and resources increase. Multi-billion dollar investments often lack adequate social safeguards. This puts marginalized communities at risk of displacement. For example, Morocco’s planned $6.4 billion GOTION High-Tech battery gigafactory is massive (Africa’s green opportunity to be an industrial powerhouse). Without careful planning and community consultation, such projects can force people from their homes. Similarly, green hydrogen projects require significant land. In South Africa and the Maghreb region, these projects threaten local livelihoods. Infrastructure built for European energy needs sometimes proceeds without community consent, especially in sensitive areas like Western Sahara (GREEN COLONIALISM BEHIND THE ’DECARBONIZATION CONSENSUS’; Green Colonialism – DECOLONIAL CENTRE). Wind farm development also causes friction. In Norway, wind turbines encroach on Saami reindeer herding lands. This disrupts traditional livelihoods and cultural practices, echoing colonial resource theft (Explainer: What Is Green Colonialism? – Earth.Org; What Is ‘Green Colonialism’ And How Do We Decolonise Policy?).

Large-scale hydro projects present similar challenges. The proposed Grand Inga Dam project is vast. While potentially generating significant power, it threatens ecological stability. Such mega-projects can also disrupt regional water-sharing agreements. This increases the risk of tensions between countries (Africa’s green opportunity to be an industrial powerhouse). However, the provided sources lack detailed information on the Grand Inga Dam’s specific impacts. Importantly, the absence of meaningful consultation is a common thread. Even when legal rulings favor local communities, implementation can fail. The Saami case in Norway demonstrates this. Wind farms disrupted herding despite court decisions, showing a lack of effective social safeguards (Explainer: What Is Green Colonialism? – Earth.Org; What Is ‘Green Colonialism’ And How Do We Decolonise Policy?).

Battery Production Geopolitical Risks: Energy Transition Tensions

The shift to green energy is reshaping global politics. Europe’s increasing reliance on African resources creates potential conflicts. For example, plans exist to repurpose 3,300 km of Mediterranean gas pipelines. These pipelines would transport hydrogen from North Africa to Europe (Hydrogen News from Africa (March 2025); The energy transition in North Africa | Transnational Institute). This highlights a growing dependency. Europe needs Africa’s renewable potential. However, this dependency risks repeating colonial dynamics. Resources flow north, while environmental and social costs stay south. Large solar projects in the Maghreb primarily serve export markets. This often comes at the expense of local communities, like shepherds and farmers losing land (GREEN COLONIALISM BEHIND THE ’DECARBONIZATION CONSENSUS’). Africa has a massive pipeline of 114 GW for green hydrogen projects across 52 sites (Hydrogen News from Africa (March 2025)). This scale underscores Europe’s significant interest and potential leverage.

Furthermore, global governance structures struggle to keep pace. The World Economic Forum warns about fragmented international oversight. This weakness allows powerful states or corporations to exploit advantages (World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2024). Some actors, termed “rogue states” or sub-imperial powers like certain Gulf nations, leverage green technology investments. Their companies, such as ACWA Power and Masdar, engage in large land deals. In places like Kenya and Tanzania, these deals, often framed around carbon credits, displace smallholder farmers (Green Colonialism – DECOLONIAL CENTRE). Consequently, this fragmented landscape increases conflict risks. Without equitable frameworks and strong local protections, Africa’s green transition could entrench existing power imbalances. Resistance from affected communities, like the Saami fighting wind farms, and coordinated policies offer potential counter-measures (Green Colonialism – DECOLONIAL CENTRE; Explainer: What Is Green Colonialism? – Earth.Org).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.