Tag: green hydrogen

South Africa’s revamped carbon tax policy, coming into effect in 2026, signals a decisive shift in the country’s climate and energy landscape. With stricter emissions thresholds and an expanded scope for carbon offsets, the carbon tax overhaul is set to drive major investment in renewable energy. It will also reshape how businesses source electricity. This policy evolution opens new doors, even though some hurdles remain.

Access to reliable electricity remains a significant challenge across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural areas. Expanding grid infrastructure is often prohibitively expensive and impractical due to difficult terrain and large distances from urban centres. As a result, millions of people rely on costly and polluting diesel generators or go without electricity altogether. Off-grid solar solutions have emerged as a transformative tool in bridging this energy gap.

Africa is making slow, steady progress towards energy security, which will only be enhanced through collaboration. Energy access is undeniably one of the most crucial components of modern day living. Reliable energy supply ensures that economies are growing by supporting critical industries like mining, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and education, while improving the lives of billions of people.

As the global energy landscape undergoes a transformative shift, hydrogen emerges as a compelling substitute for traditional fossil fuels, poised to play a pivotal role in the evolving energy transition. With the energy transition market valued at US$183 billion in 2022 and anticipated to surge to US$317 billion by 2032, hydrogen stands out as a key player in this dynamic evolution.

With South Africa reaching an agreement to launch $1 billion blended finance fund to accelerate the development of the green hydrogen sector, the country is well on its way to pursue and harness this energy resource.

The 'Decarbonisation Transition' is set to introduce an entirely new set of rules, challenges and opportunities. According to our latest research, Decarbonising Energy, from A to Zero, transforming the fossil fuel-based energy system to one that is sustainable and decarbonised is one of humanity’s greatest challenges, and greatest opportunities to make global energy supplies more available and affordable than ever before.

2020 saw a number of significant developments in the local energy space and, while this sector generally tends to shift relatively slowly, 2021 is likely to bring with it some of the most progressive changes in South Africa’s energy arena.

Almost any stock with a decent hydrogen angle performed well in 2020. So, what is all the excitement about, and are these stocks in a bubble? Renewable energy can and will decarbonise power generation. Renewable energy and batteries can and will decarbonise the automotive sector.

All over the world, interest in hydrogen as a vector for clean energy is growing, as industries and governments investigate and implement national decarbonisation strategies. With the rapid growth in renewable electricity and falling costs of wind and solar power, the opportunity to produce zero carbon hydrogen has caught the attention of global energy players.