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This optimism appears to be justified, as a num- The Japanese government declared its com-
ber of European entities are mulling hydrogen mitment to a hydrogen-fuelled future in 2017,
projects in Africa. For example, Italy’s Snam while both South Korea and China have made
and a think-tank known as The European similar commitments. As major hydrocarbon
House-Ambrosetti concluded in a recent joint consumers seek out new means of reducing
study that solar farms in North Africa would be greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, exporters
able to turn out green hydrogen at a price up to need to start thinking about the future.
15% lower than comparable Italian facilities. The Australia has seen its opportunity to steal a
study suggested that Italy team up with North march on its gas export rivals in the Middle East,
African countries to serve as a “land bridge” to North America and Russia, aiming to future-
the European market. proof its gas industry by developing a world-
Snam and the think-tank unveiled their class hydrogen export sector.
study shortly after Germany and Niger struck The government has earmarked AUD18bn
an agreement on the expansion of their exist- ($12.65bn) of funding over the next decade Australian
ing hydrogen partnership into other West Afri- for a portfolio of low-emissions technologies,
can states. In late August, the two sides signed including “clean” hydrogen. Canberra’s focus Energy Minister
documents that will establish the West African on developing hydrogen is welcome news for
Science Service Centre on Climate Change and the Australian gas industry, which has touted Angus Taylor has
Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) as the vehicle for the economic decarbonisation potential of
this partnership. WASCAL, which was founded the cleaner fuel at a fraction of the cost of full advertised the
by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and electrification. government’s
Research (BMBF) in 2012, serves Benin, Burkina Hydrogen funding: Australian Energy Minis-
Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, ter Angus Taylor unveiled the first annual state- commitment to
Mali, Nigeria, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. ment of the government’s technology roadmap
BMBF is also providing funding for efforts on September 21. ‘clean hydrogen’
to establish a green hydrogen atlas covering the In his statement the National Press Club,
member states of the Southern African Devel- the minister set aside AUD13bn ($9.14bn) in
opment Community (SADC). Jane Olwoch, funding for the Clean Energy Finance Corp.,
the executive director of the Southern African AUD2.9bn ($2.04bn) for an emissions reduc-
Science Service Centre for Climate Change and tion fund, AUD1.4bn (984mn) for the Aus-
Adaptive Land Management (Sasscal), said tralian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
recently that the atlas would serve as the starting and AUD1bn ($702.9mn) for the Australian
point of a campaign to assess southern Africa’s Research Council (ARC). Additional funding
green hydrogen potential. “We’re moving really will also go towards CSIRO-managed grants
fast,” she told Engineering News & Mining programmes as well as co-operative research
Weekly. centres.
Taylor advertised the government’s com-
If you’d like to read more about the key events shaping mitment to “clean hydrogen”, rather than sim-
Africa’s oil and gas sector then please click here for ply green hydrogen. This leaves the door open
NewsBase’s AfrOil Monitor. for the domestic gas industry to invest in CCS
to future-proof blue hydrogen operations. The
Supplying Asian demand government has not set a target for its green and
Asia’s major importers of liquefied natural gas blue hydrogen mix yet, with the minister tell-
(LNG) have begun looking to hydrogen as a ing the country’s national broadcaster ABC on
cleaner source of energy as they seek to cut down September 23 that Canberra expects the mix to
on their carbon emissions. move “over time.”

Week 39 01•October•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7