ACWA Power and Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) set to explore green hydrogen projects in South Africa

ACWA Power and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC), a government-owned Development Finance Institution, today signed an extensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) exploring a partnership in the development of green hydrogen and its derivatives in the Republic of South Africa.

This partnership coincides with the state visit of the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The agreement was digitally signed by Paddy Padmanathan, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ACWA Power; Clive Turton, Chief Investment Officer of ACWA Power; Rian Coetzee, Head of Industry Planning and Project Development at IDC; and Russell Wallace, Manager of Legal Services at IDC, with agreement copies exchanged at a gathering attended by executive dignitaries.

This is the first agreement of its kind between ACWA Power and the IDC, but the parties have previously collaborated for equity in a renewable energy plant in South Africa. The potential value of this MoU is estimated at US$10 billion. ACWA Power will function as the developer for green hydrogen and its derivatives in South Africa, with the IDC acting as co-developer and equity partner in the proposed projects.

South Africa has a net zero target for 2050 and plans to become a significant producer and exporter of green hydrogen and its derivatives. Accordingly, the government has mandated the IDC to lead the development and commercialisation of the green hydrogen economy.  The IDC, in partnership with the Green Hydrogen Panel, is in the process of finalising the South African Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy (GHCS).