European countries have committed R1.06 billion to fund new projects in South Africa, businesstech.co.za reports. The announcement comes as the country's national green hydrogen programme moves from planning into delivery.
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa unveiled the first six projects to emerge from that programme, according to engineeringnews.co.za. He described green hydrogen as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the country, Politicsweb reports.
The programme sits at the centre of South Africa's wider industrialisation and investment drive, according to reporting by George Herald and Algoa FM. Together, the coverage frames green hydrogen as a lever for both new industrial activity and foreign investment.
The R1.06 billion from European countries is tied to new projects, though the reporting available does not specify which projects the money will fund or how it will be distributed. The six projects named by Ramokgopa are the first to come out of the national programme.
What to watch next: which of the six projects receive backing from the European funding, and how quickly the programme moves from announcement to construction.