South Africa's Ambitious Plans to Lead the Hydrogen Industry Growth
Key Ideas
- South Africa sees potential in becoming a key player in the global hydrogen and fuel cell industry by developing capacities across the value chain.
- Efforts by Mistra and government aim to ensure benefits of emerging hydrogen industries reach all, including youth and communities, while securing a stable global supply of green hydrogen.
- Hydrogen initiatives in South Africa, led by entities like HySA and government departments, envision a sustainable hydrogen economy with catalytic projects to drive growth and investment.
- Challenges remain in areas such as cost of production, supply chain capacities, and financing, but collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships are being pursued to overcome these obstacles.
During Mistra's platinum group metals (PGM) roundtable, experts highlighted South Africa's potential to become a key player in the global hydrogen and fuel cell industry. Mistra's executive director emphasized the country's ability to contribute across the entire hydrogen value chain, from mining to manufacturing and services. The focus is on ensuring that the benefits of these industries extend to all, with a specific emphasis on youth and communities. Efforts by Mistra, along with various government departments and research centers like HySA, have led to the development of a Hydrogen Society Roadmap aimed at establishing a sustainable hydrogen economy by 2050. The roadmap includes catalytic projects like the Hive Coega Green Ammonia and the Boegoebaai Special Economic Zone to stimulate growth and investment. Challenges such as high production costs and the need for scale remain, but partnerships and strategic initiatives are being pursued to address these issues. South Africa's commitment to hydrogen is further demonstrated by collaborations with countries like Japan to create export markets for green hydrogen and green ammonia.