South Africa: Eskom Takes Bold Step Towards Green Hydrogen Future

South Africa’s power utility company, Eskom, is considering adding green hydrogen production to its energy portfolio and is inviting tenders from interested companies for the construction of a pilot renewable green hydrogen facility (RHF) at its Research, Testing, and Development (RT&D) unit in Johannesburg. Renewable green hydrogen production is a key priority to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in South Africa.

This pilot will directly contribute to informing Eskom’s decarbonization strategy and potentially enable renewable energy deployment as it presents an excellent medium to long-term energy storage solution.

Eskom believes developing a pilot Renewable Hydrogen Facility (RHF) will provide an informed pathway to plan for the potential adoption of green hydrogen, as well as an opportunity to understand legislative requirements and regulations related to renewable hydrogen and provide internal skills development.

“Eskom is following a differentiated approach and multiple pathways to move from a high-carbon to a low-carbon economy, and we are aggressively seeking creative, technology-led solutions to achieve this,” said Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane.

“This is about harnessing clean energy for inclusive economic growth. The pilot facility will help our research teams understand hydrogen’s full value chain, from production to use, and ensure we’re ready to play a leading role in the transition responsibly and inclusively.”

The pilot serves as an extension of RT&D’s decarbonization research at its existing 400kW solar photovoltaic (PV) research pilot facility, which includes battery test plants that have provided valuable research across the Eskom value chain.

Last month, Eskom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Exxaro Resources that focuses on collaboration on strategic initiatives, research, and projects in the areas of carbon emissions reduction, air quality, and just transition.

Eskom is also accelerating the establishment of a separate Renewable Energy Business, having recently issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for firms with a proven track record in establishing renewable energy businesses to assist Eskom in accelerating the deployment of renewable energy solutions.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com