With significant investment from local and international companies in renewable energy in the Northern Cape, it is envisaged that the Namakwa District will be an investment destination for green hydrogen production projects that could lead to increased future employment opportunities.
This is according to Prof Stanford Chidziva, acting director of the green hydrogen programme at the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC).
Prof Chidziva explained that green hydrogen is an alternative energy source to carbon-based fossil fuels and is a cleaner fuel to limit global warming and climate change.
He said the field lends itself to not only unskilled labour, but employment opportunities for engineers, chemists, electricians, fitters and turners.
“We hope to target primary school teachers in Vredendal to encourage them to expose learners to career opportunities within renewable energy which will improve the likelihood of future job opportunities. We are also looking at focusing our outreach on grade 9 teachers, who will be able to direct learners before choosing their subjects for grade 10.
“We are excited about the MoU with the Namakwa District Municipality, which is one of five districts of the Northern Cape Province.”
“The MOU between the two parties sets the stage for a strategic partnership around green hydrogen technologies and other renewable energy initiatives. The partnership is focussed around key sustainable development goals, which includes, human resource development, capacity building and facilitating policy making that will make a significant contribution to and impact in the development of the hydrogen economy,” said Prof Chidziva.
“The purpose of this MOU is to formalise a strategic partnership and cooperation between the two parties by undertaking joint projects and programmes concerning research, entrepreneurship development, capacity building, socio-economic development and transformation and related issues in Namakwa District.”
He said the programme is specifically designed to upskill and improve the employability of youth in the green hydrogen economy.
Following South Africa’s Inaugural Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town, the Northern Cape Province cemented its place as a destination for green hydrogen production projects.
Prof Chidziva said the Northern Cape and Namakwa District has been identified as a green destination for South Africa as a whole.
“With high solar irradiation values the region has a significant advantage in the production potential of green hydrogen. UWC with SAIAMC has developed and initiated one of the first programmes to train and equip human resources in the green hydrogen sector, using solar energy as the energy source.
Mr Christiaan Fortuin from the Namakwa District Municipality said the green hydrogen economy is now a viable and commercial reality for the Namakwa District.
“Through this MOU, the municipality with UWC will be a hydrogen location of choice providing employment opportunities and training in the green hydrogen economy. This will become a game changer for Namakwa District, and her people will gain immensely from this partnership.”
