Launch of the Pilot Technology Assessment Report on Electrolysers for Green Hydrogen Production in South Africa

The Technology Assessment (TA) pilot project in South Africa on green hydrogen electrolyser technologies, has concluded. The process included navigating through all the steps outlined in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) TA Methodology, resulting in the completion of a comprehensive TA Report.

This report, which analyses the role of green hydrogen electrolyser technologies within the country’s national development, as well as its challenges and opportunities, is accompanied by a draft Action Plan aimed at facilitating widespread adoption and diffusion of the TA.

Details Of The Report

To formally close the project, there is a need to officially launch the report with stakeholders especially with a view to implement the proposed Action Plan. Recognising the significance of stakeholders in the TA process, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), in collaboration with UNCTAD, is organising the launch of the TA report on December 3, 2024, in Pretoria, South Africa. The event is to take place on the margins of the 2024 Science Forum South Africa.

The Goal Of The Pilot Project

The Technology Assessment (TA) pilot project in South Africa, implemented by stakeholders in South Africa with close collaboration by UNCTAD, focused on assessing green hydrogen electrolyser technologies. This event will formally launch the TA Report, which aims to assess the benefits and risks for South Africa of adopting and producing these technologies in the country.

The report highlights the potential for competitive commercialisation of these technologies and the implications for national development and includes a draft Action Plan. It is a pilot technology assessment aimed at building national capacity in technology assessment and assessing an area of technology that may contribute to both energy security and decarbonisation efforts in South Africa.

Purpose Of Launch Event

The launch event will provide a platform for discussing TA, the adoption of the practice of TA in Africa and key elements of the report. It is expected to contribute to broader knowledge-sharing within Africa on TA methodology and practices and opportunities for diffusing TA more widely across the continent. The event is intended to engage policymakers, experts, and stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and civil society to raise awareness of the practice of TA and the opportunities for diffusing TA more widely in Africa.

This is seen as important in light of the rapid technological advances taking place in a number of frontier technologies that are creating important economic, social and environmental implications and raising critical ethical, regulatory, legal and other concerns. Participants will also have an opportunity to network and contribute to discussions on the potential of green hydrogen and electrolyser technologies for sustainable development in South Africa and beyond.