Green Economy Journal Issue 56

ENERGY
Hydrogen is everybody’s
darling, at the moment.
Kaufmann explains that like Japan (but unlike South Africa),
Switzerland doesn’t have a lot of surface but it does have verticals in the
landscape, which it uses to produce energy. Historically, it was much
easier to produce water than solar energy, so most of Switzerland’s
electricity comes from hydropower (pump storage from dams and runof-the-river
hydroelectricity).
In South Africa, using our space and wind and solar potential and
storing surplus energy through green hydrogen could be beneficial.
“A lot of people think it’s the answer to energy storage,” says Swart,
referring to hydrogen. “Wind and solar only produce power when the
sun is shining or the wind is blowing. But if you use that renewable
energy to produce hydrogen, then you have a means to store that energy.”
Kaufmann adds: “There are a lot of production possibilities for gas,
like using electricity surpluses you have from the summer that you can’t
store with renewable sources.”
Bischof-Niemz explains that hydrogen is not an alternative storage
to batteries but can be used in addition. Batteries are “perfectly suited
to balance the day-to-night-time fluctuations, but hydrogen is better
suited for the long term, because you can store it away inexpensively
without losing anything.”
Swart adds that with its good wind and solar resources, South Africa
could set up plants to produce green hydrogen, which it could export
to “anyone across the world to use that to produce green electricity,
which could be huge for South Africa”.
The country has abundant natural resources and available land for
the process and is thus ideally positioned to produce enough green
hydrogen to both decarbonise many of its own energy-intensive
industries and tap into the rapidly building global demand for the
fuel, according to research commissioned by the EU Delegation to
South Africa. For example, Switzerland, which doesn’t have naturally
occurring fossil fuels such as gas or coal, doesn’t import coal but does
import renewable gas. Kaufmann says the country has a target to
make its gas consumption more renewable. And like many countries in
Europe, it is highly dependent on Russian gas. “Societies are realising
that we have to first diversify the origin of our gas suppliers and then
make our gas consumption more renewable,” says Kaufmann.
SOUTH AFRICA’S PLANS FOR HYDROGEN
South Africa already produces hydrogen – but it is “grey” hydrogen
from fossil fuels (coal), which results in massive carbon emissions.
Bischof-Niemz’s research found that Sasol’s Secunda site in
Mpumalanga – which converts large quantities of coal into fuels,
chemicals and CO 2 – is one of the world’s largest sources of CO 2,
emitting 57-million tons every year. Secunda has a Fischer-Tropsch
reactor, into which hydrogen and carbon monoxide is placed to
create liquid hydrocarbons, such as petrol and aviation fuel. While
it produces dangerous emissions now, this technology could be
used to create green hydrogen. “It’s a huge liability, but you can
turn it into an opportunity as well, because the Fischer-Tropsch
technology is needed in the long run in a decarbonised world to
produce aviation fuel,” says Bischof-Niemz, explaining that in a
completely decarbonised world we will need chemical facilities
like the Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce synthetic aviation fuel.
And South Africa does have plans to make hydrogen production
green – President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his 2022 State of the Nation
address, announced R270-billion for the development of a hydrogen
pipeline. And Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
Blade Nzimande has launched South Africa’s Hydrogen Society
Roadmap, which proposes that hydrogen be used throughout the
economy. There seem to be plans in place, but what the breakthrough
report indicates is that this needs to happen now.
“This report is totally right. We need more engagement, more money
in the system, more courage, more economies of scale,” says Kaufmann,
adding that the second thing that stood out in the report was that
“we’ve got to be faster”.
Article courtesy Daily Maverick
Brand new
Connecting Strength
MultiRail CSM
• Roof connection and mounting rail in one
• Quick planning with little material input and no predrilling
or complex fixing in the roof substructure
• Better rear ventilation can be achieved through the
elevation with RailUp
READ REPORT
THOUGHT [ECO]NOMY
THE BREAKTHROUGH AGENDA REPORT 2022 | International Energy Association | International
Renewable Energy Agency | UN Climate Change High-Level Champions | [2022]
The world is facing multiple and compounding crises. The effects of climate change are intensifying. The
availability and affordability of both energy and food are at risk in many countries, contributing to a
broader cost-of-living crisis. The response must not be to slow down the transition to sustainability but
greeneconomy/report recycle
to move even faster.
A massive scaling up of clean energy investment and deployment worldwide is needed to enhance energy
security, affordability and access, and the transition to sustainable land use is essential to protect our food
systems against future shocks. This report is a joint product of the IEA, IRENA and the UN Climate Change High-
Level Champions. Each organisation has brought its own expertise to deliver clear recommendations for the
actions that governments and companies need to take. Many now see the opportunities of the low-carbon
transition and are competing to lead the development of new technologies. This is to be welcomed.
The opportunity is for countries, businesses, communities and citizens to work together to accelerate the growth
of global markets for clean technologies and sustainable solutions while continuing to compete to supply them.
54
Power Hydrogen
Agriculture Agriculture The Paris goals
29 82 140 172
k2-systems.com
50