South Africa moves closer to building port for hydrogen exports

South Africa’s state logistics company has taken a key step toward the construction of a new port to ship commodities including hydrogen derivatives. 

Transnet National Ports Authority selected three consortiums that will now be asked to present proposals to design, fund and build the Boegoebaai port on South Africa’s northwest coast and associated rail infrastructure, the company said in a statement on Monday. TNPA is a unit of Transnet SOC Ltd.

The three groups, selected from eight consortiums of local and foreign companies that applied, are the Boegoebaai Port & Rail Consortium, Boegoebaai Development Consortium and Project Elephant Consort. TNPA didn’t give details of the participants in each group. 

South Africa hopes to use the abundant wind and sun on its arid west coast to generate the renewable energy needed to produce so-called green hydrogen. That fuel can be used to make products for export such as green ammonia. 

The port may also be used to export manganese.