The first commercial operation of a green hydrogen production unit on the African continent is likely to be in South Africa. This will be thanks to French energy giant Engie, which has signed an agreement with British mining company Anglo American. Engie will produce green hydrogen at its Mogalakwena platinum mine in South Africa’s Limpopo province.
As part of the project, Engie is partnering with Release by Scatec, the arm of Norwegian independent power producer Scatec. Under the agreement, Scatec will supply solar photovoltaic energy to Engie over a period of two years. The containerised Release by Scatec solution installed at the Mogalakwena mine will be capable of producing 616 kWp of solar energy.
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“We are proud to support Engie and Anglo American in this important project. This is Scatec’s first involvement in powering hydrogen production, and further demonstrates the potential of pre-assembled and containerised solar PV in the mining industry,” says Hans Olav Kvalvaag, senior vice president Release at Scatec. The electricity generated will be converted via electrification into green hydrogen to power Anglo American’s facilities.
Research and development of this energy source is gaining momentum in South Africa, and elsewhere on the African continent, with projects brought in by major groups such as Siemens, Man, and ENI in Egypt. In South Africa, green hydrogen is also being developed by Sasol. The chemical giant wants to set up green hydrogen transport solutions.
Jean Marie Takouleu