Hive Hydrogen selects Topsoe for $1B SOEC electrolyser deal on $5.8B South Africa green ammonia project

Hive Hydrogen South Africa has selected Danish technology company Topsoe to supply 850 megawatts of solid-oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technology and related ammonia synthesis equipment for the $5.8 billion Coega Green Ammonia project in the Eastern Cape, under a deal valued at approximately $1 billion.

The agreement is one of Africa’s largest clean hydrogen technology awards to date. Topsoe beat Chinese supplier Longi for the contract. The project is being developed by Hive Hydrogen South Africa — a joint venture between UK-based Hive Energy and South African infrastructure firm BuiltAfrica — within the Coega Special Economic Zone near the Port of Ngqura.

The facility targets approximately 1 million tonnes of green ammonia annually by 2030, destined for European and Asian markets. Topsoe’s SOEC technology is expected to reduce the project’s renewable energy capital expenditure by more than €500 million. The plant will be powered by 1,430 megawatts of solar PV and nearly 1,880 megawatts of wind capacity, with a dedicated desalination plant supplying process water.

The Topsoe award pushes Coega toward Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), scheduled for Q3 2026. The Final Investment Decision is targeted for Q3 2027, with commercial operations projected for late 2029 or 2030. At a projected production cost of $650 per tonne FOB, the developers say Coega could rank among the world’s lowest-cost green ammonia export facilities globally.

The timing carries additional significance: Topsoe announced the day before that it was hibernating its new electrolyser manufacturing plant amid broader green hydrogen industry headwinds — making the $1 billion Coega contract a significant commercial validation of SOEC technology at a difficult moment for the sector.

Source: Hydrogen Insight