Ramaphosa: Four new flagship hydrogen projects on the cards
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that four new flagship green hydrogen projects are being prepared for submission to the cabinet.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that four new flagship green hydrogen projects are being prepared for submission to the cabinet.
Speaking at the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town, Ramaphosa said these projects will build on progress already made, including the Coega Green Ammonia Project in the Eastern Cape and the Sasolburg pilot project in the Free State, which is already producing green hydrogen for local use.
Ramaphosa said South Africa invested over R1.5 billion in hydrogen projects.
In June 2023, Sasol set aside a R350 million budget for the pilot Free State project, which was expected to produce up to five tonnes of green hydrogen daily.
“Through our partnership with the European Union, we have prioritised support to projects like Sasol’s HySHiFT programme, which aims to produce up to 400,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel annually,” said Ramaphosa.
“The project directly supports African re-industrialisation and European energy transition goals.
“In the Eastern Cape, the Coega Green Ammonia Project is at an advanced planning stage, and four additional flagship hydrogen projects are expected to be submitted for cabinet approval soon.”
At the same time, Ramaphosa lamented the impact of capital cost and risk potential on planned projects on the continent.
“Many who are financiers start to look at parts of our continent, and all they see is risk, and then they pull back. We cannot close that gap with potential alone. We must match it with demand signals and project preparation support.”
The president said that while Africa seeks to explore the hydrogen industry, which is essential to clean energy solutions, the obstructions to this growth must be addressed.
“Green hydrogen is a way to marry Africa’s mineral riches with our renewable energy endowment to decarbonise heavy industries, to create jobs, to stimulate investment and to unlock inclusive growth across borders,” Ramaphosa said.
He said Africa is rising to meet this moment of opportunity and potential.
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