South Africa is taking another step to embed green hydrogen into its energy landscape.

The sector education and training authority (Seta) for the chemical industry, known as Chieta, has partnered with energy company Sasol to launch a green hydrogen fuel cell training system in Sasolburg, in the Free State, reports Engineering News.

The facility will feature a working 50 W hydrogen fuel cell to give learners hands-on experience with the technology.

The system was first proposed in 2024, and implementation started last year with ZAR1.8 million funding from the Seta.

‘In the green hydrogen economy, no skills means no transition,’ says Chieta CEO Yershen Pillay, explaining the rationale behind the facility

Green hydrogen is an important cornerstone of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition to decarbonise its economy.

Meanwhile, the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg is also planning to build modular R100 million pilot hydrogen plant for training and research. It is expected to be operational in 2028.

14 April 2026
Image: Freepik