Key stakeholders for a green transition in South Africa’s maritime sector met in the Eastern and Western Cape on 26 and 27 February 2025. Experts from the South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and Department of Transport (DoT), South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Infrastructure South Africa, Central Energy Fund, Eastern Cape Government, Sasol and PetroSA participated in the exchange.
Exploring green hydrogen opportunities at Port of Ngqura
Near Gqeberha, the delegates visited the Port of Ngqura, where they were warmly welcomed by Avish Sinath, Operations Manager at TNPA. Mr Thomas Roos from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) provided a global perspective on maritime defossilisation. He introduced an innovative concept for the application of PtX in the South African maritime sector, which had been developed by the stakeholders during a previous PtX in Maritime training session organised by the International PtX Hub in Cape Town.
Roos highlighted South Africa’s strategic location along major international shipping routes and its existing Fischer-Tropsch facilities, notably PetroSA’s Mossel Bay plant and SASOL’s facilities in Gauteng. He highlighted the potential for South Africa to tap into the green hydrogen-based marine fuel market, particularly given the future demand for Fischer-Tropsch fuels in the existing global shipping fleet and as pilot fuels for green fuel engines. Thomas Roos proposed the formation of a Fischer-Tropsch Industry Association, comprising Sasol, PetroSA and South African research institutions, to further explore these opportunities.
Advancing a National Maritime Action Plan
South Africa’s Department of Transport has already held a workshop outlining South Africa’s ambitions to develop a National Action Plan (NAP). Ms Tsepiso Toana-Mashiloane, Chief Director at the DoT, outlined the requirements and rationale for the NAP and announced the establishment of a national task force to drive its development. This task force will include departments and agencies that participated in the GIZ training sessions last year, and will invite other selected stakeholders to participate.
Mr Johannes Arndt, Advisor for Maritime Activities at the PtX Hub in South Africa, presented an aggregated analysis of NAP requirements and available research. Dr Estee Miltz of HEAT presented an analysis of baseline data on maritime trade in South African ports. The DoT emphasised that the NAP is a national initiative that requires collaboration across all departments and authorities.
Green ammonia production prospects at the Port of Coega
Representatives from Hive Energy then joined the delegation. Hive Energy is developing a green ammonia project within the Coega Port Special Economic Zone. The project aims to produce 1 million tonnes of green ammonia per year using a 1.2GW electrolyser capacity powered by approximately 3.3GW of newly installed renewable energy. Using the existing infrastructure around the port and applying a time-sharing approach to production, “we are currently looking at an estimated $550 to $750 per tonne of green ammonia at the Port of Ngqura,” said Emile Ras, Senior Project Manager at Hive. These are costs that can potentially compete with blue or grey ammonia in some markets.
The day’s activities concluded with a port visit. The delegation then travelled to Mossel Bay to visit the PetroSA Fischer-Tropsch plant and meet with representatives of the Western Cape government.
This workshop and study tour highlighted South Africa’s potential to become a key player in the green marine fuels sector, leveraging its strategic location, existing infrastructure and commitment to a Just Energy Transition.
The International Power-to-X (PtX) Hub organised the two-day workshop and “Future Green Maritime” study tour in collaboration with the South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and the Department of Transport (DoT).
