Energy Justice in South Africa: Visions for a green hydrogen contribution in the Just Energy Transition

Using a framework of energy justice to the ambiguity of introducing green hydrogen to the South African renewable energy mix, the thesis explore what actors are willing and able to contribute to the realisation of energy justice. The main research question that the study seek to answer is ‘How can energy justice be realized during the initial planning of green hydrogen developments in South Africa from an actor's perspective?’.

Key Findings/Recommendations: Green hydrogen is generally regarded to be an inevitable future development, leaving little room for negotiating by concerned parties, let alone informing uninvolved actors. Politicizing hydrogen discourse can help inform and include actors, by alerting of the imminent transition they are faced with. The study further advises fairer distributing, specifically of international benefits and burdens, while recognizing local requirements through multiscale governance procedures. Only in such a way can the South African energy system contribute to the global effort of fighting climate change and can governance at the international level contribute to local prosperity

Read online: https://studenttheses.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/20.500.12932/44193/Vonk%20Derek%20-%20Masters%20Thesis%20%5bGEO-2321%20-%20Pub.%5d.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y