There is a potential opportunity for ports in the region to establish themselves as hubs for green hydrogen refuelling.Shipping companies are including green hydrogen in their mix of fuels as they come under pressure to reduce emissions.Shipping is estimated to produce over a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year.Zero-emission fuels such as green hydrogen could cut this by 80-100%.Hydrogen is produced through electrolysis and is deemed to be “green” if the power is supplied by renewable sources such as sun, wind and hydropower.South Africa and Namibia, with their abundant wind and solar energy, are seen as potential green hydrogen production hubs.A 2024 study into creating a green marine fuel market in South Africa funded by the World Bank’s Transport Global Transport Unit, PROBLUE, estimates that in a base case, ships visiting South Africa’s eight commercial ports could demand around 56 000 tons of hydrogen as early as 2030, increasing to about 530 000 tons by 2050. Demand is expected to be greatest in Durban and Richards Bay in Kwazulu-Natal, followed by Cape Town and Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape. Bunkering of passing vessels could increase demand for hydrogen fuel by 1.3 million tons a year by 2050.The study focused on opportunities for Boegoebaai and Saldanha. “A Boegoebaai greenfield project can boost the country’s position as a high-volume exporter for green molecules. Meanwhile, Saldanha, the largest natural deepwater port in the southern hemisphere, can aggregate hydrogen demand from nearby industries and ship traffic in the short-term,” according to the authors.The report adds that demand in the combined ports of Gqeberha and Port Elizabeth could reach 1 TWh of green hydrogen-based fuels by 2035, increasing to 3.4 TWh by 2050. There are plans by Hive Hydrogen SA to build a $5.7bn green ammonia plant powered by 3.5 GW of renewable energy in the Coega special economic zone.“Green ammonia is expected to become the chosen fuel in the maritime industry.Changes in the renewable energy sector make it ideal for investment.ER
