South Africa and Germany signed an agreement to cooperate on green energy transition and created a special Hydrogen Task Force to tackle its implementation.
On Wednesday, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, South Africa’s minister in charge of electricity, and German vice-chancellor, Robert Habeck, officially forged a collaboration, SA news portal The Citizen reported. According to the source, the groundbreaking move will harness the vast potential of green hydrogen, placing South Africa as one of the key players in this industry.
The Hydrogen Task Force will explore funding mechanisms to support the growth of green hydrogen and PtX value chains, while identifying key challenges for the development of both nations’ value chains. Furthermore, this task force will create business opportunities for South African companies to interact with German counterparts.
South Africa has the largest platinum group metals (PGM) deposits in the world, accounting for about 80% of total reserves. Because of this, the country plays a major role in hydrogen production necessary for future implementation of green energy transition.
Automotive sector is expected to be one of the main focuses of this transition, and Germany is a major car producer. This sector accounts for about 23% of its GDP annually. The country that is considered one of the spearheads of the EU is also interested in reducing its carbon footprint, and the cooperation with South Africa may enable it to speed up the green energy transition.
Naledi Pandor, the minister of international relations and cooperation of South Africa, said Germany is the largest trading partner of the country on the continent, and the third largest source of tourists visiting the country.
Theodor Lisovoy for Rough&Polished
