Green Hydrogen
nextgen energy production
The KTE.energy Green Hydrogen Project in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa is strategically positioned so that water is extracted from the Orange River in Upington and transported via a water pipeline 262 km to the 85,000 hectare project property in order to produce green hydrogen using electrolysis processes to produce. The electricity comes from 6 GW of hybridized photovoltaic, wind power and CSP systems.
By directly supplying electricity to its own production facilities for the production of hydrogen and hydrogen-related derivatives, the project not only ensures a reliable and clean energy source, but also massively reduces greenhouse gas emissions and thus contributes significantly to global decarbonization efforts.
Solar Power
PV + CSP (Concentrated Solar Power)
The project site benefits from exceptional solar radiation, as proven by historical meteorological data and proprietary data collected over a 7-year period from a bespoke on-site meteorological station. The site is estimated to have a direct normal irradiance of 3,400+ kWh/m² per year. This exceptional level of irradiation is world-class and allows the project to deliver highly competitive production costs by world market standards. Notably, the solar power infrastructure incorporates two distinct technical fields: large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems and extensive concentrating solar power (CSP) installations, each contributing uniquely to the energy mix.
Wind Power
harness the power of wind
Wind studies conducted on the project properties have revealed exceptionally strong onshore winds, averaging 8 m/s, which are particularly strong at night. These data underline the region’s significant potential for the hybridized use of wind and solar energy for the production of green hydrogen and, through this first-class combination, result in the cheapest renewable baseload electricity generation costs in a global comparison.
To fully exploit this potential, KTE.energy plans to install large-scale wind turbines. These systems are intended to work synergistically with the solar energy projects (PV + CSP) to ensure a continuous and efficient energy supply for hydrogen production. The combination of these renewable energy sources will not only maximize energy production, but also contribute to the stability of KTE.energy’s own island network by ensuring a constant supply of energy during the hour-long sunsets.
Logistical Infrastructure
From south africa to the world
KTE.energy is actively developing its own logistics infrastructure to support the green hydrogen project. First, a water pipeline will be built from Upington to the project properties, ensuring a reliable water supply for hydrogen production. From the project properties, dedicated infrastructure, including hydrogen and water pipelines, extends further into the Western Cape, specifically Velddrif and Port Saldanha. The plan is to achieve high local consumption of green hydrogen and hydrogen-related derivatives at these locations. The terminus of this network is Port Saldanha, which serves as a central export hub.
The port, located on the Atlantic coast of South Africa in Saldanha Bay, is the largest natural anchorage and deepest port in southern Africa. Due to its strategic importance, the South African Department of Trade and Industry has determined that the port offers ideal conditions not only for the oil and gas industry, but also for shipbuilding. To support these industries, the government has established the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (IDZ). This infrastructure ideally positions KTE.energy to distribute green hydrogen to global markets such as Germany, Europe, Asia and the USA (www.freeportsaldanha.com).