The aspiration to provide green hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuel energy has extended so far that the first site for an offshore pilot platform to produce green hydrogen at sea was inaugurated off the coast of France last week.
The offshore wind potential is substantial and the sea water is very accessible for electrolysing into green hydrogen and oxygen on an offshore platform. The French company pioneering the move is convinced that offshore production of renewable hydrogen is a perfectly suitable answer to the huge demand building up for green hydrogen.
After all, rigs at sea, drilling into the seabed and extracting oil and gas are very familiar to us all. Instead, a floating wind farm will be providing the clean electricity. One will have to see the form that the green hydrogen takes in being brought to shore. In the meantime, this is yet another green option that South Africa should consider.