Hydrogen is emerging as an environmentally friendly universal energy carrier that is globally transportable and tradeable. Our sun, wind, land and seawater are at the ready to put us in a good competitive position.
During the day, a hydrogen production capacity factor of close to 100% is on offer from our sun and wind, and, at night, a capacity factor of 30% is on offer from our wind. We have been producing green hydrogen with the help of platinum-group metals at pilot plant level since 2013.
Coega is well positioned as a potential export port. Japan has given notice that it will be importing a lot of hydrogen from 2030 and many other countries are preparing to do so as well. If South Africa could capture a share of this climate-positive market, it would help us to offset the inevitable decline in coal export earnings.
Because time flies so fast, we need to get working on this immediately to ensure that the South African people benefit from it optimally in a decade’s time.