JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s national green hydrogen programme has attracted projects worth R800-billion-plus, Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala said on Wednesday, when he called on those in the green hydrogen field to work with government to grow the economy and to create jobs.

Green hydrogen generation and platinum group metals (PGMs) go hand-in-hand. As South Africa hosts most of the world’s PGMs, it is seen as crucial for this country to be advancing PGM-based proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers and fuel cells.

“We look up to you to take a lead in facilitating green hydrogen manufacturing capability in a manner that localises the production of upstream and downstream value-added products,” the Deputy Minister stated in a release to Mining Weekly.

By working together, South Africa could realise its potential to produce six-million to 13-million tons of green hydrogen and derivatives a year by 2050. 

“We reiterate that South Africa as a green hydrogen investment destination still offers substantial additional investment opportunities including green shipping, green fertiliser production, electrolyser manufacturing, pipeline development, and greenfield port developments,” he added, in likely reference to the proposed Boegoebaai port and green hydrogen cluster in the Northern Cape, 60 km north of Port Nolloth.

The 2022 gazetting of nine strategic integrated projects (SIPs) by Infrastructure South Africa was highlighted as an enabler of the South African green hydrogen opportunity.

By gazetting the green hydrogen national programme as a SIP, Infrastructure South Africa – a Department of Public Works and Infrastructure entity – had enabled the placing of projects on an expedited development path with prescribed and shortened timeframes for various project approvals and authorisations.

Zikalala said South Africa only needed 1% of the country’s land area – and land unusable for agriculture and human settlements at that –  to support green hydrogen economy initiatives, create jobs and improve the economy. He drew attention to considerably more land being available in the renewable energy development zones.

Green hydrogen-related projects include the Prieska Energy Cluster green ammonia production facility in the Northern Cape, the Hive green ammonia export project in the Eastern Cape, ArcelorMittal South Africa, Saldanha green steel project in the Western Cape and the Sasolburg 60 MW green hydrogen project in Gauteng. A related fuel cell and electrolyser component manufacturing facility project in Gauteng is Isondo Precious Metals.

PEM electrolysers, which are being brought down the cost curve, generate the green hydrogen by splitting water, including sea water, into hydrogen and oxygen.

The fuel cells, which are also catalysed by PGMs, then convert the green hydrogen into green electricity for mobility or stationary uses.

The flexibility of liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology being developed by the South Africa-linked German company Hydrogeneous provides the oily skin for green hydrogen to be transported, stored and traded in the same way as oil and gas is currently. LOHC ensures that green hydrogen can be transported and stored using existing liquid fuel infrastructure, including ships, tanks and trucks. By offering a versatile and adaptable solution for hydrogen transport and storage, LOHC is said to unlock the full potential of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy source.

“Africa's green hydrogen journey has just begun. By fostering collaboration between government entities, universities, and the private sector, we can unlock the immense potential of this clean energy source. Imagine a future where African ports become green hydrogen hubs, powering ships and industries with clean fuel. It's an achievable dream, but only through collaborative action,” Engineering Centre of Excellence head Tauqeer Ahmed has remarked.