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AltGen’s Fireside Chats: Realistic Timelines for Green Hydrogen Projects in Africa

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AltGen’s Fireside Chats: Realistic Timelines for Green Hydrogen Projects in Africa

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There’s so much to talk about…when it comes to green hydrogen that we have decided to host a series of Fireside chats. For this first session, we will be discussing some of the challenges that green hydrogen projects face according to the professionals. We spoke to developers and project experts who, in collaboration with their partners, currently have green hydrogen projects underway.  

AltGen’s Burning Questions  

  • What really is the biggest barrier facing Africa’s green hydrogen economy?
  • Realistically, how long will it take Africa to fully develop and begin producing green hydrogen? 
  • Will carbon taxes cause destructive delays in Africa’s green hydrogen transition, or will they propel them forward? 

First on AltGen’s panel of experts, is Davin Chown, MD of Genesis Eco-Energy. Davin has an embedded knowledge of the energy landscape, as well as political and ESG environments impacting power projects in southern Africa. And, perhaps most importantly, he says it how it is. The second panelist is WKN Windcurrent’s Power-to-X Programme Manager, Akhil Woodraj. Finally, we spoke with Chariot Energy Group’s Laurent Coche, CEO of Chariot Green Hydrogen, and Guillaume De Kleijn, Senior Advisor. Additional comments and context were provided by Tom Dopstadt, Legal Business Development Manager at Yamna and Olaf Marting, CEO at Ekonami.

Top challenges shortlisted by our Panelists  

Today we’ll be tackling the first challenge…communication. This Fireside Chat is the first in a series of four. 

  1. Communication 
  2. Overload of Information  
  3. Policy and Legislation  
  4. Finding Skills at Scale 

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Communication: ‘Language Barriers and Perceptions’   

 Our panelists all notably identified a lack of clear and comprehensible communication as one of the key obstacles to the development of green hydrogen projects. Stakeholders from different spheres in the industry are all having the same conversations but in “different languages”.  
 
 
“There is often a lack of understanding between the finance houses and the engineering guys. They speak in different languages. Sometimes you need to dilute the complexity of the information that needs to be communicated in order to bridge the gap between these two worlds so that they can understand their respective risk profiles.”  
Olaf Marting, CEO – Ekonami
 
These conversations need to happen at every level if any sort of collective coordination is to occur. This includes amongst government officials when it comes to the implementation of meaningful policy and legislation. (Read more about the role of legislature in AltGen’s third Fireside Chat.) 
 
“In order for there to be meaningful movement in the green hydrogen sector in South Africa, we need a coordinated effort from government and private stakeholders to ensure policies aid the implementation of projects.”
Akhil Woodraj, Power-to-X- Programme Manager – WKN Windcurrent 
 
Bridging the 'language' gap that exists when talking about Green Hydrogen projects in Africa

Bridging this ‘language’ gap that exists between the various stakeholders in the industry is crucial in streamlining the decision-making processes that ultimately control whether a project will see the light of day or not.  

So how do we do this?

Possible Solutions as Outlined by our Panelists:
 
 1) Let’s agree to disagree
“Dialogue is about listening, not about answering. Rather than constantly listing challenges to green hydrogen projects, we need to seek to understand what we are aiming for and discuss how we can achieve it collectively.” 
Priscilla Gibson, United Kingdom Managing Director – AltGen
 
Humans tend to focus on the issues that evoke the biggest reactions, but often the problem is rooted in a lack of attention being paid to foundational aspects of a project. This is highlighted by Yamna’s Tom Dopstadt. 
 
“I would like to see the definition of green hydrogen to converge across different jurisdictions over time. This would benefit many market stakeholders by allowing them to comply with a single set of criteria rather than multiple ones. Convergence of criteria is crucial because they impact project design and the price of green hydrogen.”  
– Tom Dopstadt, Legal Business Development Manager – Yamna  
 
Something as simple as agreeing on a definition of green hydrogen could simplify a number of processes in the project lifecycle, particularly when it comes to policy. We all need to agree on a common language of communication, or alternatively, need to invest in people who can act as translators of a sort. This is where something like GH2’s Green Hydrogen Standard comes into play. (Read more about the role of legislature in AltGen’s third Fireside Chat.) 
 
“Green hydrogen is fundamentally changing the way that we understand the world. Only project leaders skilled in facilitating open dialogues, checking their biases, and productively moving conversations forward, will be successful.”  
Priscilla Gibson, United Kingdom Managing Director – AltGen
 

 2) Develop strong partnerships

 Solutions to creating a more sustainable and less destructive way of living in the world have been and are still being found in the natural world. A quote from Rachel Carlson’s Silent Spring comes to mind; “In nature, nothing exists alone.” Partnership between all facets of these projects is essential.  
 
“Although hydrogen is still a relatively nascent industry, overcoming some of the main challenges will require strategic partnerships along the full hydrogen value chain.”  
– Laurent Coche, CEO – Chariot Green Hydrogen 
 
3) Approach the issue wholistically 
Much like Yamna, Chariot Energy Group believes in both the viability and the necessity of a green hydrogen ecosystem within the communities that these projects are set to be constructed in. Developing understanding through consistent and continuous communication with key community stakeholders such as government and other developers is one way to go about this. 
 
“You can announce all these projects but if you don’t start working with government and your competitors, your colleagues in this industry, development banks, and other stakeholders to put these local content plans in place, you’re eventually going to get stuck. We need to understand what the different socio-economic development plans are for these countries and how we can we best fit into them.”  
– Guillaume De Kleijn, Senior Advisor – Chariot Green Hydrogen
 

 

4) Invest in your people
A single golden thread of logic that continues to run through the conversations we are having with players in the green hydrogen space regardless of their geography, is the importance of investing in people.  
 
“There is no other choice but to grow people.” 
–  Davin Chown, CEO – Genesis Eco-Energy 
 

Final thoughts…

 
With robust climate change mitigation mechanisms and policies on the horizon, decarbonising Africa’s energy intensive industries has never been more crucial from an economic standpoint.  
 
What the world needs is a people-focused approach to the development of energy solutions, led by professionals who exhibit Level 5 leadership skills. The climate crisis, although deeply reliant on economic factors, is not a country-specific issue, it is a human issue. One of the oldest and most difficult challenges that humans face daily, is communication.  
 
If we are to achieve any success in the global mission for net-zero, we need to slow down, take a step back, and really listen to one another. Problems are solved using the whole brain. The effectiveness of the collective is far greater than that of the individual. 
 
Do you agree with the opinions and insights discussed in this article? 
Let us know what you think by sending us an email or engaging with our LinkedIn post in the comments. Prefer an old-fashioned approach? Give us a call on +27 21 880 2561.

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Sean Gibson

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“AltGen is all about effecting change, through people. With integrity, and passion”. 

Managing Director and Founder of the AltGen’ Group. Sean has played a pivotal role in steering and leading the vision and mission of AltGen, making AltGen the only highly specialist renewable energy recruitment firm operating within the renewable energy and sustainability space in Africa. Sean oversees the success of the entire group of AltGen companies.

Sean holds a Master of Philosophy in Sustainable Development from Stellenbosch University as well as an Honours degree from Rhodes University

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Joining AltGen in 2014, Robert started as a Recruitment Consultant and has since become our Recruitment Director overseeing the Recruitment and Executive Search division. Robert has extensive experience in securing talent for rare skills in the energy engineering market, including skills to the likes of Power System Engineers, SCADA Engineers, Project Developers and Electrical Engineering skills specific to design.

Through Robert’s leadership, each recruitment team is enabled to focus on their specific area of expertise, ensuring all client hiring needs are met. Through Robert’s years of dedication to sourcing and securing top talent in the industry, he has a wealth of insight into the skills market and provides our clients with a competitive advantage in a scarce skills environment enabling them to effectively execute on some of the most challenging renewable energy projects across Africa. Robert is also responsible for growth of the engineering recruitment team.

Robert holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Management from UNISA as well as a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering from CPUT.

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As the Innovation & Business Development Manager, Lindy is responsible for the marketing and business development activities of AltGen. Through her big picture vision, Lindy has enabled AltGen to remain responsive in the cleantech space. She is responsible for engagements with new clients.
 
Lindy initially joined AltGen in 2015 and has grown into being an integral member of the senior management team. She ensures a collaborative approach with clients catering to their custom needs. Her focus is on attaining new clients, as well as handling contractual relationships with new and existing stakeholders.
 
Lindy holds a Bachelor’ Degree in Social Sciences from Rhodes University.

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Chris Roetz oversees AltGen’s Workforce Management division in the Northern Cape. He is responsible for the successful execution of HR advisory and management services for clients’ utility-scale projects in the region. Currently, Roetz mobilises an outsourced staff complement of over 200 employees. He also steers AltGen’s Solar Works programme in conjunction with his Pofadder based team.

Chris has 20 years of professional experience in an HR and outsourced staffing capacity within the energy environment and holds a National Diploma in Human Resource Management from UNISA.

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Muslim Janoowala drives AltGen’s consulting services arm. Muslim has 10+ years of experience in the renewable energy, water and general engineering space in Eastern Africa and has played an instrumental role in the success of AltGen consulting engagement on the AFD Green Mini-grid Programme in Kenya. His expertise caters to M&E activities, project management, impact analysis and assessments of funded water and renewable energy programmes that “enlighten” and uplift communities in rural Africa.

Muslim holds an MSc in Construction Management from Cass Business School and a Bachelor of Engineering in Architectural Environment Engineering from the University of Nottingham.

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Wiehahn de Jager

Senior Consultant & Team Lead

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”

Wiehahn de Jager has specialist recruitment expertise in the finance sector and has worked on various mandates for large international and national clients on both a retained and contingency basis. Wiehahn has gained an in-depth understanding of the professional skills operating within the capital markets, fin-tech, and green finance space, with a keen focus on talented professionals within the African context. He has a strong track record successfully working on a range of skill levels, from Directors to Analysts, with a special focus on professionals from mid-level up to Corporate Executives.

Wiehahn holds a Bachelor in Law from the University of Stellenbosch.

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Robert Slater

Senior Consultant & Team Lead

“I love to serve people and be the steppingstone between them and their dream job.”

Robert Slater is an expert in the talent acquisition of carbon management, environmental and social governance-related professionals across Africa. Robert has successfully closed mandates for clients who are focused on sourcing skills with experience in climate change, clean cooking, sustainability, and agricultural environments.

Slater cares deeply for people and the planet, he has a Life Coach Training certification from New Insights and volunteers at ON A MISSION, an NPO which enables businesses and individuals to invest in carbon offset projects. He holds an Honours Degree in Environmental Management from UNISA.

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Natascha Marais

Consultant

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. I look for people who want to change the world and introduce them to like-minded companies.”

Natascha Marais is highly skilled when it comes to sourcing those “unicorns” for our clients in the OEM, AI and technology, economic development, and legal spaces.

Natascha has proven experience in identifying and onboarding professionals to the likes of business developers, sales, and account managers as well as technical sales or software developer skills.

Marais holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Law from Pearson Institute.

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