The Company has signed a 10MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Botswana Power Corporation, and the power dispatched under this PPA will assist in the displacement of existing carbon-intensive power. Transmission lines connecting Lesedi to the existing electricity grid are expected to be completed in 2023.
The prototype hydrogen production unit is currently being designed, built, and tested in Brisbane before being transported to Lesedi in 1H22 for production trials to begin. Successful production of hydrogen and solid carbon products could enable the Company to generate revenue ahead of the 10MW PPA’s gas-to-power revenue.
Synergen Met Pty Ltd (“SM”), the Company’s hydrogen technology partner and a market leader in plasma torch and pyrolysis technology, has informed the Company that preliminary engineering for their hydrogen-carbon production process has been completed. The plasma torch will be calibrated and configured to maximize the production of hydrogen and solid carbon.
A consultant engineering firm (Kemplant) has been retained to assist with prototype engineering, allowing for the start of detailed design and fabrication. The plasma torch is being tested to determine the optimal parameters for the production of hydrogen and solid carbon.
Once at Lesedi, the prototype will utilize Tlou’s existing gas flows to generate hydrogen and solid carbon byproducts. Following the planned addition of solar PV energy, the potential for net zero CO2 emissions will be realized.
The use of plasma technology for hydrogen production will be a first for the Sub-Saharan region and could have significant implications for the region’s production of low-emission, clean energy – as well as for related fields such as waste-to-energy and waste disposal.
Tlou and SM intend to use the hydrogen generated by the prototype to generate electricity and, possibly, as a transportation fuel (at first in Tlou’s own vehicles). Regional consumers who require solid carbon will have access to the product. Over the short and medium term, global markets for hydrogen and solid carbon black are expected to expand significantly.
SM believes that their process, which utilizes a plasma torch gas pyrolysis design, satisfies the definition of green hydrogen production.
SM intends to list on the ASX in the near future and is currently undergoing the pre-IPO process. Should this proceed, Tlou may participate in the IPO for up to US$3 million under the terms of the Heads of Agreement between Tlou and SM. Given comparisons to similar publicly traded companies, the Company sees significant upside for a potential investment in SM.
Tlou sees significant potential not only for Tlou’s hydrogen and solid carbon products in Sub-Saharan Africa, but also for SM’s waste management technology. The conversion of otherwise toxic waste to inert products or otherwise landfill organic waste to energy is intended to be a central pillar of SM’s objectives through the use of their proprietary plasma technology.
The Company notes that significant legislative, environmental, and financial drivers are driving the development of these activities, and these drivers are expected to intensify and persist.
The agreement with SM provides significant growth potential for the Company by providing an alternative route to market for Tlou’s gas in Botswana, while also increasing revenue streams from high-value carbon and carbon products.
Tony Gilby, Tlou’s Managing Director, said”Tlou is well advanced in terms of approvals and agreements to commercialise our gas.With continued encouraging gas flows from Lesedi and the development of additional ways to monetise our gas, we are about to enter a very exciting time for our company.With the potential for Synergen Met to grow alongside Tlou, we see the development of a mutually rewarding and highly beneficial relationship.”
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The raised ambition of an already huge renewables-powered hydrogen project in the Southern African nations vividly demonstrates the hydrogen and clean energy potential of a continent which accounted for just 0.5% of the world’s new solar capacity last year, according to trade body AFSIA’s annual report.
The International Renewable Energy Agency estimated how much off-grid solar capacity was operating in Africa at the end of 2020.
Graphic created by Max Hall, using content from freevectormaps , for pv magazine
Plans for a huge renewables-powered green hydrogen project in Botswana and Namibia have been expanded fourfold, according to solar trade body the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), from 1GW of generation capacity to 5GW.
The project, in Southern Africa, was among the examples cited by the trade body as evidence of a strong large scale solar pipeline on the continent when AFSIA chief executive John van Zuylen hosted a webinar on Thursday to present the organization''s annual report for 2021.
Van Zuylen also pointed to the launch of a 1GW solar project in Algeria last year, which is set for development this year, and to plans for five projects in South Africa with a total generation capacity of 975MW.
The chief executive said the share of new global solar capacity claimed by Africa last year fell to just 0.5%, from 3.1% three years earlier, but highlighted encouraging developments in the commercial and industrial, mini-grid, and solar home system (SHS) segments of the market.
Kenya is leading the charge in the, typically single-panel SHS household solar market, at the head of strong East African regional activity but West Africa also recorded strong figures last year, according to AFSIA, with 20 million SHS units operating in Africa in 2021, to the benefit of 100 million people.
Although the size of the systems sold was smaller than in the previous year, more units were shifted and there was increasing adoption of such small scale solutions to power irrigation and cold storage, according to the trade body''s annual report.
While pv magazine has previously highlighted the effect of more expensive solar equipment on the African market, cheaper energy storage technology and the freer availability of finance helped fire a booming commercial and industrial solar market last year, according to AFSIA.
Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria boasted strong mini-grid markets in 2021, even if only 49MWp of generation capacity was provided by such off-grid networks across the continent during the last 12 months. AFSIA pointed out there is still a gap between project announcements and delivery and added only around 30% of the mini-grid projects announced in 2020 materialized.
The solar industry membership body reiterated the suggestion Africa should consider harnessing the green hydrogen output which could be offered by the rich renewables potential of countries such as Algeria, Namibia, and South Africa to establish domestic ammonia and fertilizer industries, rather than just preparing to export the clean hydrogen used to manufacture such commodities.
In terms of the outlook for solar in Africa this year, AFSIA chief executive Van Zuylen highlighted the growing demand for PV from mining and telecoms businesses in the continent, and pointed to better enabling legislation which is expected, such as streamlined permitting rules in South Africa.
The headline to this story and the copy were amended on 01/02/22 to indicate the green hydrogen project referred to is being planned by Namibia and Botswana, not by Namibia and Angola, as previously stated.
More articles from Cosmas Mwirigi
Just go with EU and S. Africa clean LNG for now. Green H2 is decades away. Even prestigious Chinese university recent article says so. Go slow as economic distress will kill 10 times as many.
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Tlou Energy is focused on delivering a hydrogen strategy to bring renewable power to Botswana and southern Africa through the exploration and development of gas, solar and hydrogen.
The hydrogen strategy is being developed to complement the company''s gas-to-power project. With the hydrogen economy rapidly growing, multiple business opportunities could open up in solid carbon products, oxygen, ammonia, fuel cell vehicles, agriculture and medical supplies. By creating a roadmap that helps develop hydrogen in these countries, both the company and nations will have access to the carbon-neutral fuel of tomorrow.
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