Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, on Monday – 17 January 2022 – joined a delegation from Sasol, Infrastructure South Africa and the Northern Cape Provincial Government in Port Nolloth for a stakeholders’ engagement and to visit the site of the planned Boegoebaai green hydrogen project.
In a statement, the Presidency said this would serve as an important meeting between government and Sasol to implement the Memorandum of Agreement, as signed and announced at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) 2021.
Boegoebaai, on SA’s west coast, has been identified as a primary site for development of green hydrogen.
During the symposium, held in October 2021, green hydrogen was identified as a ‘big frontier’ that represents future and current growth and investment opportunities for South Africa.
Globally, the demand for green hydrogen and green hydrogen-based products, such as ammonia and synthetic jet fuels, is rising. “This is off the back of national and corporate net zero commitments around the world aimed at keeping global warming below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Due to the multi-sectoral implications of green hydrogen, the Presidency plays a convening and coordinating role across government with respect to green hydrogen,” the statement said.
Through coordination in the Presidency, Sasol, the Northern Cape Provincial Government (NCPG) and the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) launched the following agreements at the SIDSSA 2021, which underpin their green hydrogen ambitions.
- A Memorandum of Agreement between the NCPG and Sasol, for Sasol to be the anchor developer of the planned Boegoebaai Green Hydrogen Special Economic Zone, pending a detailed feasibility study
- A Heads of Agreement between the NCPG and the Port of Rotterdam (PoR) for the PoR to act as a demand aggregator for green hydrogen into Europe, and
- A Memorandum of Agreement between GPG and Sasol for Sasol to develop green hydrogen production facilities in Gauteng aimed at decarbonising the domestic industry.
For more information visit: www.sanews.gov.za