President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country is likely to move to the production and use of electric vehicles as South Africa recognizes its potential to produce green hydrogen.
On Tuesday, Ramaphosa delivered the keynote speech at the inaugural SA Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town.
Green hydrogen is produced by extracting hydrogen from water using green or renewable energy sources such as the sun and wind. The green hydrogen is then used in energy-intensive industries such as iron smelting, long-haul freight transport, and even in jet aircraft.
President Ramaphosa says global demand for green hydrogen is growing significantly, which is likely to create jobs.
“Now, after our energy transition, we’ve decided that we’re going to switch to electric cars, which is a great opportunity not just for one country, but for many other countries as well. We are already a major car manufacturer in our three provinces – EC, KZN and Gauteng. All these provinces, thanks to their workers, have gained a lot of experience in creating high-quality cars, which we export to many parts of the world.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa officially opens SA’s inaugural Green Hydrogen Summit: 29 November 2022
