EU Pledges $35 Million in Grants to Boost South Africa’s Green Hydrogen Sector
The European Union has announced two grants worth approximately $35 million to support South Africa’s green hydrogen initiatives, aimed at accelerating its decarbonization goals.
The first grant, valued at 140 million rand ($7.8 million), is intended to assist South African state-owned enterprise Transnet with infrastructure upgrades.
The funds will be used to enhance critical logistics, including railways, ports, and pipelines, which are necessary for developing the green hydrogen sector.
The second grant, amounting to 25 million euros ($27.6 million), will help South Africa further develop its green hydrogen value chain, facilitating the production and export of hydrogen made from renewable energy sources.
Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy, is increasingly seen as a key solution to reducing carbon emissions across industries like transport, petrochemicals, and steel.
South Africa, as Africa’s most industrialized nation, has been positioning itself as a leader in the green hydrogen revolution.
“These two European Union grants will be implemented in a way that contributes to South Africa’s strategic objectives,” said Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy, during the announcement in Pretoria.
The EU has been heavily investing in green hydrogen projects across Africa, aiming to secure future supplies of this clean fuel as part of broader decarbonization efforts. South Africa’s energy and electricity minister,
Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, emphasized the significance of the grants, stating, “Green hydrogen provides some of the best opportunities for the country to really industrialize.”
Source: Reuters
