Every day, millions of engines and factories burn fossil fuels, releasing carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas that traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere and contributes to climate change. Now imagine a clean fuel that does not pollute and produces only water as waste. That’s the promise of green hydrogen, which is made by using solar and wind power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Countries worldwide, including South Africa, see green hydrogen as a vital tool for tackling climate change. There are plans to use green hydrogen in South Africa for everything from producing fertiliser for farms to powering factories and heavy trucks.
As governments worldwide push for green hydrogen as a clean energy solution, a critical reality is being overlooked: producing green hydrogen is only one piece of a complex puzzle. The success of green hydrogen projects depends on simultaneously developing infrastructure that will transport the green hydrogen to industry. It will also need industries to adopt new technology or convert existing equipment so that they can switch from using fossil fuels to using green hydrogen.
