Pretoria’s green hydrogen plans edge forward

Domestic and international investor interest is driving project development

South Africa’s flagship green hydrogen scheme took a step forward in late July as state logistics firm Transnet shortlisted three consortiums to develop a new port at Boegoebaai on the northwest coast—the location of a proposed hub for the production and export of the renewables-based fuel. Days later, the strong northern European support helping underpin Pretoria’s ambitious hydrogen strategy was reaffirmed by an agreement for two German firms to collaborate on establishing a plant for hydrogen-based e-fuels. Despite competing for attention with more-urgent economic priorities, the government’s plans both to become a major global exporter of green hydrogen and its derivatives, and to use it