The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been selected to coordinate Phase 1 of the West Coast Green Hydrogen Master Plan. This plan aims at creating a green hydrogen hub at the Saldanha Special Economic Zone (known as Freeport Saldanha) and is a flagship initiative of the Western Cape provincial government. The CSIR was awarded the role by Freeport Saldanha.

“Our collaboration with the CSIR reflects a shared commitment to credible, inclusive, and future-focused planning,” explained Freeport Saldanha West Coast Green Hydrogen Master Plan project manager Shanon Neumann. “We are confident this partnership will deliver a Master Plan that not only outlines viable infrastructure and investment pathways but also reinforces Saldanha Bay’s long-term competitiveness in the global green hydrogen economy.”

Phase 1 of the Master Plan is centred on developing an understanding of the opportunities, priorities and constraints regarding common-user infrastructure, the requirement for land, and a review of the energy and environmental legislation. It will also develop a strategic environmental analysis to direct future planning.

“This Master Plan is being developed in a collaborative manner that brings together key stakeholders from the three spheres of government, parastatals such as the Transnet National Ports Authority, private sector and civil society,” highlighted CSIR research group leader Paul Lochner. “While being initiated by the Western Cape government, the process also includes the Northern and Eastern Cape authorities, to share insights and facilitate green hydrogen planning amongst the provinces, as well as engaging with potential institutional and financial partners to support the implementation of future phases.”

Saldanha Bay was selected as the centre of the project because it is a port with significant infrastructure and export-import capabilities and is close to renewable-energy resources, both wind and solar. Being a port, in addition to the potential to export green hydrogen, it could also supply green hydrogen fuel to ships.

In addition to helping decarbonise shipping, the green hydrogen produced by the project could also be used to help decarbonise other hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy industry, railways and trucking, both at home and abroad.

The production of green hydrogen involved using electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. “In the Saldanha context, the water would probably need to be sourced from desalination of seawater, if green hydrogen is produced at scale,” noted Lochner.

He cautioned that the development of a green hydrogen economy was very complicated. It would require partnerships and investments across both the public and private sectors.