Spatial Planning Policies for Export-oriented Green-hydrogen Projects in Chile, Namibia, and South Africa

Export-oriented green-hydrogen projects (EOGH2P) are being developed in regions with optimal renewableenergy resources. Their reliance on economies of scale makes them land-intensive and object of spatial planning policies. However, the impact of spatial planning on the development of EOGH2P remains underexplored. Drawing on the spatial planning and megaproject literatures, the analysis of planning documents and expert interviews, this paper analyzes how spatial planning influences the development of EOGH2P in Chile, Namibia, and South Africa. The three countries have developed different spatial planning approaches for EOGH2Ps and are analyzed by employing a comparative case-study design. Our findings reveal that Namibia pursues a restrictive approach, South Africa a facilitative approach, whereas Chile is shifting from a market-based to a restrictive approach. The respective approaches reflect different political priorities and stakeholder interests and imply diverse effects on the development of EOGH2Ps in terms of their number, size, shared infrastructure, socioenvironmental impact and acceptance. This study underscores the need for well-designed spatial planning frameworks and provides insights for planners and stakeholders on their potential effects.