Cabinet has approved the publication of the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy (GHCS) for public comment.

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said the strategy would seek to ensure that South Africa became a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen and derivatives, and that the sector contributed towards growth and supported the country’s just energy transition.

The GHCS follows on from the Hydrogen Society Roadmap, which was adopted by Cabinet in 2021.

The release of the strategy for public comment also follows the recent South Africa Green Hydrogen Summit, where it was confirmed that South Africa has a potential green-hydrogen investment pipeline of R300-billion.

It was also announced that the Green Hydrogen National Programme had been included in an updated list of Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) for accelerated development under the country’s Infrastructure Development Act.

Projects identified as SIPs are theoretically placed on an expedited path to development, with prescribed and shortened timeframes for various project approvals and authorisations.

Green hydrogen also features in government’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan, or JET-IP, which outlines investments valued at a combined R1.5-trillion that should be made in the electricity, electric vehicle and green hydrogen sectors over the five years from 2023 to 2027.

Public consultation on the JET-IP is expected to be finalised during February.