Hydrogen Services In South Africa

The challenge of global warming and climate change affects everyone – in all countries and industries. Recognising this urgency, South Africa has already committed to ambitious goals to minimize the adverse effects of carbon emissions. In this context, adopting carbon-free and low-carbon hydrogen is considered crucial to achieving decarbonization within a sustainable ecosystem, backed up by the Hydrogen Society Roadmap for South Africa (HSRM) published in 2021.

The South African hydrogen-society outcomes include:

• Decarbonisation of transport
• Decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries (steel, mining, cement, etc.)
• Creation of an export market for South African hydrogen
• Centre of Excellence in Manufacturing for hydrogen products and fuel cell components
• Green and enhanced power sector
• Transition from grey to blue to green hydrogen.

Its importance is steadily increasing across the entire value chain.

"Hydrogen is gaining increasing importance in several industry sectors, and the ramp-up in Southern Africa is on its way. Therefore, the path to a more sustainable and diverse energy sector and CO₂-free hydrogen requires safe and efficient solutions across the entire H2 value chain." 

 Christopher Mbere, Managing Director and Notified Body Inspector, TÜV SÜD South Africa

Hydrogen can be used as a storage medium to further advance the integration and use of energy and as a sector coupling technology to decarbonise several sectors. Various stakeholders support the path to a more diverse, secure, and sustainable energy sector and, therefore, to (green) hydrogen. The potential applications of CO₂-free hydrogen are widespread, e.g. as a reducing agent for green steel production, support the grid stability with domestic power generation and on-demand electricity, production of ammonia (NH₃) as hydrogen carrier and fertilisers as well as eco-friendly drive systems for mobility and transportation, among others.

Southern Africa's exceptional solar yields and abundant land ensure ample access to renewable energy sources, making it an ideal region for harnessing solar power in hydrogen production. Additionally, the region's advantageous geographical location facilitates efficient hydrogen transportation domestically and for export purposes to global off-takers.

GREEN AND BLUE HYDROGEN AS A CO₂-FREE ENERGY CARRIER

Depending on the source of the energy input, there are several ways to produce hydrogen. The overall goal is to reduce carbon emissions in various stages of the entire value chain. Thus, the current focus in South Africa is arguably the production, transport, and usage of green and blue hydrogen.

"Hydrogen has to be ‘produced’ since it’s practically only available in organic compounds. This means it has to be separated from its compounds by energy input. As a result, there are different colours based on the source of energy input. Most prominent is the water electrolysis, where water (H2O) is separated into its Hydrogen and Oxygen molecules." 

Thomas Frohn, Green Energy & Sustainability Product Manager, TÜV SÜD South Africa

Several local and regional certification schemes are available for global market access of hydrogen and its derivatives. TÜV SÜD supports you with “Green” and “Low-Carbon” Hydrogen and derivatives certification with internationally recognised standards for your global trade.

Click here to know more about Green Hydrogen Certification.

OUR HYDROGEN AND POWER-TO-X SERVICES IN SOUTH AFRICA

TÜV SÜD provides extensive expertise across the entire value chain and life cycle of hydrogen and Power-to-X technologies. Our commitment to the hydrogen sector is evident through our comprehensive range of services, including technical advisory, testing and certification, and inspection, which ensures your product meets the highest standards.

TÜV SÜD South Africa is a proud active member of the SABS / TC 197, which is shaping the rules of the future, focusing on Hydrogen technologies. This standardisation involves systems and devices for hydrogen production, storage, transport, measurement, and use.

"Hydrogen has unique characteristics that require additional engineering controls and regulatory compliance to enable a safe usage. The Occupational, Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 (OHS Act) is an important piece of legislation in South Africa that would apply to the development of hydrogen and PtX regulations, codes and standards." Josef Peters, Technical Manager, TÜV SÜD South Africa

The following list shows a selection of regulations that would be applicable in South Africa to the Green Hydrogen and PtX industries:

• Hazardous Chemical Substances Regulations, 1995
• Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009
• Electrical Machinery Regulations,1988
• Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015
• General Machinery Regulations, 1988
• Pressure Equipment Regulations, 2009
• Construction Regulations, 2014
• Major Hazard Installation Regulations, 1993

Explore our comprehensive service portfolio across the entire hydrogen and PtX project life cycle:

Get in touch with our hydrogen experts to discuss all available services and how we can support you at [email protected]