Chinese clean energy technology company Envision Energy and Sasol, the South African petrochemicals giant, have begun a design study to look at a possible green hydrogen system at Sasol’s operations in Sasolburg, a further development in an objective to develop a low-carbon fuels industry and accelerate green hydrogen production in South Africa.
The cooperation, announced at the Energy Investment Conference of South Africa in China, will look at how renewable power and battery energy storage, as well as electrolyzers could be combined so as to optimize green hydrogen production. The study is anticipated to be finished later in 2026 and will serve as the technical and commercial basis for any prospective future investment.
It is well to be noted that green hydrogen is widely regarded as a critical enabler for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors and creating low-carbon fuels like eMethanol and sustainable aviation fuel – eSAF, which are projected to see higher demand as global emissions regulations become more stringent.
Envision will bring its deep experience in battery storage, renewable energy, AI-enabled energy management as well as hydrogen technologies. Recently, the company executed what it calls the largest AI-enabled off-grid green hydrogen and ammonia project in the world at its Chifeng Net Zero Industrial Park in China, generating 320,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year, and has plans to achieve significant growth by 2028.
This partnership part from speeding-up the green hydrogen production in South Africa is part of the broader strategy by Sasol in order to decarbonize its chemicals and fuels operations through its current industrial infrastructure. The study will look at how integrated renewable generation and electrolyzer systems could lead to cost-effective green hydrogen production at Sasolburg, the company said.
The vast solar and wind resources of South Africa are putting it in an increasingly dominant position to become a future exporter of green hydrogen, while the government is convinced the sector could drive industrial investment, employment, and also lower-carbon economic growth. The partnership between Envision and Sasol could offer a useful template for future large-scale hydrogen initiatives in the country.