South Africa’s economic engine has long relied on traditional sectors such as manufacturing, mining, and financial services. While some global economies took the bull by the horns at the emergence of new, high-growth industries, SA simply sauntered along. Hopefully, the same won’t be said about the much-heralded hydrogen economy, which is projected to achieve annual revenues of more than $2.5 trillion, and create more than 30 million jobs globally by 2050. For South Africa, getting in on part of that opportunity could be the much-needed lifeline to some of the country’s socioeconomic issues. And a major part of the appeal of this new economy is the benefit it has to the environment.

The hydrogen economy is focused on the commercial use of hydrogen as a fuel, says Dr Sivakumar Pasupathi, director: HySA Systems Competence Centre at SAIAMC, University of the Western Cape. He says that when one considers challenges such as energy security, pollution and job opportunities, the ‘hydrogen economy can solve many of these issues’.