Minister Mondli Gungubele will on Monday, 17 January 2021 join a delegation from Sasol, Infrastructure South Africa and the Northern Cape Provincial Government in Port Nolloth for a stakeholders engagement and site visit to Boegebaai.
During the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) held in October 2021, green hydrogen was identified as a “Big Frontier” that represents both future and current growth and investment opportunities for South Africa. Globally, the demand for green hydrogen (H2) 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 aimed at keeping global warming below 2 degrees 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.
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 domestic industry.
The meeting and site visit in Port Nolloth will serve as an important interaction between Government and Sasol to implement the Memorandum of Agreement as signed and announced at the SIDSSA 2021.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Presidency.
