SPECIAL FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURE Partnerships Arising out of COP26, South Africa was the first beneficiary of the feeling that arose that developed countries who had become rich by burning fossil fuels have a responsibility to help developing countries wean themselves off oil and gas. The Just Energy Transition Partnership is an agreement whereby Germany, France, the US, the UK and the European Union (the International Partners Group) will mobilise finance to help South Africa decarbonise. A Just Energy Transition Partnership Investment Plan (JET-IP) has subsequently been published and bodies such as the Presidential Climate Commission and National Treasury are engaged with the plan. Another international partnership was announced in June 2023 when the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Denmark visited South Africa to launch a -billion green hydrogen fund, SA-H2. Seeded with an initial amount of 0-million from Invest International, Netherlands, the fund is also supported by the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Industrial Development Corporation and Sanlam. South Africa has already designated nine green hydrogen projects as Strategic Integrated Projects. HyShiFT is a project developing sustainable aviation fuels in Secunda, which is home to several Sasol plants. Sasol, South Africa’s biggest energy and chemicals company, is part of a consortium that includes Linde and ENERTRAG. While there is plenty of activity at national and international level, something green is also stirring at provincial level. The Provincial Government of Mpumalanga has established the Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency to bring together government, academia and industry to create the environment for businesses to develop in a green economy. The Cluster is an initiative of the Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development and Tourism with the support of GreenCape and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Among the issues the Cluster is looking at are carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and clean aviation fuel. The published opportunity briefs (the first in a series that will be expanded) cover water, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. Each of the reports looks at the funding environment within that subsector, together with a market overview, key developments and achievements, the most important participants already active in the sector, legislation and regulation and market opportunities. The Cluster is a member of the International Cleantech Network, a global network of more than 15 000 international green businesses. The Mpumalanga Green Cluster Board Chairperson is Dr Thembakazi Mali, the Senior Vice President for Research and Technology at Sasol. Impact Catalyst Mpumalanga was launched in November 2022. An initiative of two big resources companies, Anglo American and Exxaro, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and World Vision, Impact Catalyst aims to drive large-scale socioeconomic development initiatives through publicprivate partnerships. With Mpumalanga being a province with the largest number of South Africa’s power stations, the focus is naturally on issues such as decarbonisation and switching to cleaner energy but doing so in a way that promotes a Just Energy Transition. Impact Catalyst will align with the JET-IP and with Eskom’s JET plan. The provincial government’s MP 2945 Vision is similarly aligned with the broader national goals. Impact Catalyst Mpumalanga will support the conversion of power generation infrastructure and sustainable mine closures while promoting environmental management for agricultural development and exploring re-industrialisation and manufacturing opportunities. Helping schools and communities get access to digital resources will also form part of the programme. Impact Catalyst was previously rolled out in Limpopo and the Northern Cape. ■ MPUMALANGA BUSINESS 2023/24 28 Cleaner aviation fuel is the goal of a major project in Secunda. Credit: Pexels/Pixabay
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