Latest news with #MinisterOfElectricity
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Green hydrogen can 'reposition' Africa within global value chains
The burgeoning green hydrogen industry presents an opportunity for Africa to enable structural change and reposition the continent. This is according to the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. The minister delivered remarks at the African Green Hydrogen Summit, which is underway in Cape Town. '(Green) hydrogen must be understood not merely as a clean fuel, but as a strategic enabler of Africa's structural transformation. It holds the potential to reposition the continent within global value chains, not as an exporter of raw materials but as a competitive industrial actor. Harnessed strategically, it can anchor new industrial ecosystems, from green steel and fertilisers to sustainable mobility and synthetic fuels. 'These are not abstract possibilities -- they are within reach, provided we design policy frameworks that localise value, deepen intra-African trade, and direct investment flows towards infrastructure, skills, and technology transfer that serve the interests of the continent,' Ramokgopa said on Thursday, 12 June 2025. The industry presents a lucrative opportunity for the continent and boasts a global potential of at least $300bn in global exports over the next three decades. Africa holds minerals and metals that are critical for the industry, placing the continent at the heart of this new frontier. 'More fundamentally, green hydrogen offers an opportunity to reverse the logic of dependency that has historically defined Africa's insertion into the global economy. Instead of reinforcing extractive patterns, Africa can lead with an agenda of beneficiation, regional integration, and sovereign industrial development. 'This will require that we reject siloed national approaches in favour of coordinated regional frameworks, leveraging platforms like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and, most crucially, Agenda 2063. 'These frameworks offer the institutional scaffolding for a common energy market and harmonised regulatory regimes that can attract patient, long-term capital,' Ramokgopa said. The minister implored African leaders at the summit to be 'unapologetic' in taking their place at the forefront of the green hydrogen global industry. 'We must also be unapologetic in demanding a fair place at the green negotiating table. Africa's role in the global energy transition cannot be one of accommodation. It must be one of agency. Our narrative must be led by African voices, grounded in African realities, and committed to African futures. 'As the world seeks new energy alliances and supply chains, Africa must shape its energy destiny through solidarity, strategy and statecraft, turning the promise of green hydrogen into a pillar of continental prosperity,' he insisted. The summit also launched the Africa Green Hydrogen Report – a document thrashing out the continent's green hydrogen potential, which brings together the full breadth of the continent's technical readiness. 'This is not just a theoretical compilation; it is a technical blueprint for scaled project execution. Its message is unequivocal: Africa is not short of knowledge. Africa is ready to move from pilot to pipeline, from strategy to scale. 'But let us be clear. The window for Africa to shape the rules of this emerging market is narrowing. Other regions are moving fast, with public subsidies, regulatory incentives, and long-term offtake strategies. If we delay, we risk importing technologies, importing skills, and once again exporting unprocessed potential. 'So, the real work of this summit is to forge clarity on the scale of our ambition, the credibility of our plans, and the coordination of our actions. Let us begin that work today, with urgency, with unity, and with a shared conviction that Africa's future is not on the periphery of the global green economy, but firmly at its centre,' he said. According to the African Green Hydrogen Alliance (AGHA) – which is made up of 10 African states, including South Africa – the industry has the potential to add between $66 billion and $126 billion to the Gross Domestic Product of the member countries over the next 25 years. Furthermore, some two to four million jobs could also be added during that time. 'Africa's choice is whether to be a passive site of resource extraction or a proactive architect of the green energy economy. With the right policy frameworks, investment enablers, and regional coordination, green hydrogen can and must be the backbone of a new African industrial era,' Ramokgopa said
Zawya
08-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa's Electricity Minister Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 Amid Bold Infrastructure Plans
Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity and Energy of South Africa, will speak at this year's edition of the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference – taking place September 29 to October 4 in Cape Town. As the country targets large-scale power and renewable energy rollout, Dr Ramokgopa's participation will support greater collaboration with international partners and investors. Faced with an energy deficit challenge, South Africa has been implementing bold changes across its electricity and energy sectors, seeking to strengthen infrastructure development and broader energy access. In 2025, the country implemented its newly enacted Electricity Regulation Act, aimed at creating a more competitive power market in the country. Designed to address the country's longstanding power supply challenges by restructuring the sector, the act enables independent power producers to play a larger role in the country's industry. Additional policies include the Renewable Energy Masterplan – approved in March 2025 and aimed at incentivizing investment across the renewable energy value chain – and the Energy Action Plan – aimed at mitigating power outages by securing energy supply. On the back of regulatory reform, the country has seen several milestones achieved across its electricity and energy sectors in recent months. In March 2025, the country brought the sixth and final unit of the Kusile Power Station online. Following the requisite testing and optimization over a six-month period, the unit will add 800 MW to the South African national grid. Once all units at the station are operational by H2, 2025, the station will contribute 4,800 MW to the grid, representing the country's largest infrastructure project. Meanwhile, a second new-build power station is on track for commissioning its fourth unit shortly. The Medupi station – a greenfield coal-fired plant – will produce 4,800 MW once all six units are online. While these projects represent strategic steps towards improving generation and transmission capacity in South Africa, much more investment is required to achieve the country's power and energy goals. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy estimates that South Africa requires up to R440 billion to finance transmission development over the next ten years. To enhance energy access, the country seeks to modernize and expand the national electricity grid by 14,000 km during this timeframe, highlighting a major investment opportunity for global financiers. In March 2025, Minister Ramokgopa announced short-term plans to acquire up to 1,164 km of 400 kV transmission lines, covering the Northern Cape, North-West and Gauteng. The acquisition falls under the country's broader Integrated Resources Plan – which provides a roadmap for achieving South Africa's forecasted electricity demand - as well as the 2024 Transmission Development Plan, which seeks to expand the grid and achieve greater access rates across various provinces. Meanwhile, spearheaded by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, the country is making significant strides towards scaling-up its renewable energy sector. A key driver of this is the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer program (REIPPP) – an initiative aimed at increasing generating capacity through private sector investment in solar, onshore wind and hydropower. The REIPPP has successfully channeled substantial private sector expertise and investment in the renewable industry, with 16 winners selected under Bid Window 7 in December 2024. This window targets 5 GW of renewable energy capacity, with the winning projects featuring 1.76 GW of solar – representing a combined investment of ZAR 31.4 billion – as well as 615 MW of battery energy storage - a combined investment of ZAR12.8 billion. Nuclear energy has also been identified as a strategic sector by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy. South Africa currently hosts the only operational nuclear facility in Africa and has plans to scale-up capacity in support of anticipated rising demand. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy plans to spend R60 billion on its nuclear-build program and is seeking support from international nuclear experts to enhance capacity. At AEW: Invest in African Energies, insights into South Africa's power and energy advancements will highlight key investment opportunities for global players. 'South Africa has put the requisite policies in place to advance large-scale power and energy projects. What the country now needs is action. International investors should take advantage of regulation and drive impactful projects,' states Oré Onagbesan, Program Director, African Energy Week. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber. About AEW: Invest in African Energies: AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit for more information about this exciting event.
