Sasol, a South African petrochemical corporation, announced on Friday that it was collaborating with Itochu Corp. of Japan to investigate the production of green hydrogen and green ammonia projects for maritime fuel and electricity production.
Sasol is currently the largest producer of coal-based fuels and chemicals in the world, but as part of its decarbonization strategy, it is moving away from this source of energy.
Green hydrogen has been hailed as a significant carbon-free energy source for power generation, marine fuel, and fertilizer manufacturing. Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy sources such as the sun and wind.
According to Sasol, green ammonia, which is made from green hydrogen, is crucial for the manufacturing of net-zero fertilizers and can be used as a carbon-free bunker fuel in the marine industry and for co-firing in the production of thermal power.
It went on to say that green ammonia is a superb energy transporter and is simple to transfer, especially over long distances. In order to use the product for other purposes, it can also be “cracked” back into hydrogen gas.
At the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8), held in Tunisia on August 27 and 28, the two businesses signed a memorandum of understanding, according to a statement from Sasol.
Priscillah Mabelane, Sasol’s Executive Vice President of Energy, said, “This marks another milestone in our objective to lead South Africa’s energy transition through decarbonization while boosting industrial development.”
According to Sasol, the Japanese company Itochu has been looking into the production of green hydrogen as a fuel for the maritime industry and for the production of electricity.
