Completed and presented by Anglo American Platinum, Bambili Energy and Engie, the study altogether identifies nine hydrogen-related projects across the mobility, industrial and construction sectors.

Through the implementation of both the hydrogen hubs and the nine projects, the consortium hope to reduce South Africa’s dependence of fossil fuels and boost a clean energies economy, given the success of similar hydrogen hubs in other countries across the globe.

Already, the group thinks demand is going to be high, with the study estimating the hubs could reach 185,000kg of hydrogen capacity by 2030. Also focusing on price, the study projects a levelised cost of hydrogen to be ~$4/kg.

The initiative is part of the work being done to support the implementation of the National Hydrogen Society Roadmap, which was recently approved by Cabinet, as well as phase three of the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.

Commenting on the study launch, Natascha Viljoen, CEO of Anglo American’s PGMs business, said, “The opportunity to create new engines of economic activity through hydrogen has been validated through this feasibility study with our partners. As a leading producer of PGMs, we have for some years been working towards establishing the right ecosystem to successfully develop, scale up and deploy hydrogen-fuelled solutions.

“These include investing in innovative ventures and enabling technologies, as well as forging wide-ranging collaborations across industry, to fully harness the transformative potential of green hydrogen for our economy in South Africa.”

Zanele Mavuso Mbatha, CEO of Bambili Energy, added, “We are pleased to be working with Anglo American Platinum, Engie and the South African Government in developing the hydrogen valley programme for the country.

“We believe that the project will bring significant public awareness around renewable energy solutions and contribute significantly to the national and provincial objectives for new investment, new jobs, renewable energy sources, and new export markets. It further complements our goal to beneficiate the country’s PGMs through our manufacturing of hydrogen fuel cell systems.”

When conducting the study, Anglo American Platinum, Bambili Energy and Engie said they met with over 20 stakeholders to gauge their interest for being involved in the hydrogen hub developments. Through doing this, they concluded that the interest is high, with multiple well-established businesses showing willingness to be quantitative or qualitative contributors.

Further to that, they also held a workshop that was attended by over 60 players to collect inputs and build momentum for the hubs. Export opportunities, green steel, refuelling stations and business pricing models were all highlighted as key takeaway points here, with the likes of Sasol, Volkswagen and ArcelorMittal participating.

Michèle Azalbert, Managing Director of Green Hydrogen at Engie, concluded, “The study we are presenting today with our partners identifies potential projects that could constitute the South African Hydrogen Valley and kick-start the country’s hydrogen economy.

“This essential first step supporting the South African Hydrogen Society Roadmap makes the green hydrogen development concrete. At Engie, we believe that working together on tangible projects and joining forces private-public will help to get at scale, making this solution commercially viable quickly.”