Together, Sasol and ArcelorMittal South Africa are working to develop carbon capture technology for making sustainable fuels, chemicals, and steel through the use of green hydrogen and derivatives.
The Saldanha green hydrogen and derivatives study, which will examine the region’s potential as an export hub for green hydrogen and derivatives as well as green steel production, and the Vaal carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) study, which will use renewable electricity and green hydrogen to convert captured carbon from ArcelorMittal South Africa’s Vanderbijlpark steel plant into int.
In addition, Sasol and Freeport Saldanha Industrial Development Zone signed an MOU to create an ecosystem and globally competitive green hydrogen center in Saldanha Bay.
In South Africa, the Vaal Triangle has been home to fossil fuel-based industrial operations that have been vital to the development of the nation’s economy, sustaining numerous livelihoods through the creation of jobs and contributions to the GDP. Numerous assets used in these processes can be switched to more sustainable ones.
Up to 1.5 million tonnes of annual unavoidable industrial CO2 from ArcelorMittal South Africa’s Vanderbijlpark Works will be investigated as part of the Vaal CCU research. Together with green hydrogen, the CO2 is planned to be transferred to the Sasolburg and Ekandustria operational facilities in Sasolburg, where it will eventually take the place of natural gas as a feedstock for the production of sustainable chemicals.
The two prospective projects will promote the reindustrialization of the Saldanha and the Vaal regions, opening up the possibility for the growth of a green hydrogen ecosystem and resulting in long-term, sustainable benefits for the local communities and the nation. They are anticipated to support a Just Transition by creating a sizable number of employment, investing in infrastructure, and developing the nation’s workforce.
