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SA gets hydrogen fuel cell tech boost

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb's news editor.
Johannesburg, 04 Apr 2016
SA is making bold moves in hydrogen fuel cell technology installations, says science and technology minister Naledi Pandor.
SA is making bold moves in hydrogen fuel cell technology installations, says science and technology minister Naledi Pandor.

With SA looking to rope in more alternative energy sources, the country has made moves to boost its hydrogen fuel cell industry.

Last week, SA's first prototype hydrogen fuel cell forklift and refuelling station was unveiled at Impala Refining Services in Springs, Gauteng.

The prototype is a collaborative effort between the Department of Science and Technology, through the HySA Systems Centre of Competence based at the University of the Western Cape, and Impala Platinum (Implats), through its Impala Refineries in Springs.

Although still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, SA has been championing the use of renewable energy sources. Solar, biomass and wind energy systems are being rolled out in the country at a steady pace and feeding clean energy into the strained electrical grid.

Reliable power

Fuel cell technology offers clean, effcient, reliable power generation to almost any device requiring electrical power. Fuel cells are used in a wide range of portable, stationary and transport applications, from battery chargers to home heating and power to cars.

A fuel cell is like a battery in that it generates electricity from an electrochemical reaction. Fuel cells, however, use an external supply of chemical energy, meaning they can run indefinitely, as long as they are supplied with a source of hydrogen and a source of oxygen.

William Grove, a chemist, physicist and lawyer, is generally credited with inventing the fuel cell in 1839.

Over the past three years, Implats has provided HySA Systems with funds of R6 million to enable the prototype development. Implats plans to use hydrogen fuel cell technology as its main source of energy for material handling and underground mining equipment.

Speaking at the event, science and technology minister Naledi Pandor said fuel cell technologies have the potential to provide access to affordable, safe, clean and reliable energy, which is necessary for broad-based economic development and growth in the country.

"While the fuel cell market is still in its infancy in South Africa, recent developments indicate a growing appetite for the technology," said Pandor. She added SA had started to make a number of bold moves that could see it leapfrog into the leading countries in hydrogen fuel cell technology installations in the short- to medium-term.

"That's what we are here to make. A bold move - a forklift may appear to be a small move. But great industries have developed from small moves," Pandor noted. "To promote further deployment of hydrogen fuel cell technologies, especially in the lucrative automotive sector, public-private partnerships are required to put in place the requisite infrastructure."

Viable technologies

Pandor pointed out the alignment of fuel cell initiatives across government would be critical to stimulate the private sector funding necessary to create a viable hydrogen and fuel cell technologies industry cluster.

"Developing a viable fuel cell industry in South Africa has several advantages for the country, such as economic development, sustainable job creation and social good," says Implats CEO Terence Goodlace.

"As the world's largest platinum-supplying region, there is a guaranteed supply of the metal as well as the potential to increase in global platinum demand. The development and implementation of this technology provides an important opportunity for South Africa to play a role in reducing global greenhouse emissions, thus diminishing urban pollutants and contributing to reduced healthcare costs and an improved quality of life."

The benefits of the metal hydride technology include much longer operational times between refuelling, contributing to a significant increase in productivity. In contrast, diesel and electric-powered forklifts are refuelled daily, affecting productivity negatively.

The onboard metal hydride storage also allows for the forklift to operate at a low pressure (180 bar), which increases safety, as opposed to most fuel cell vehicles, which operate at 350 bar, requiring a high pressure hydrogen compressor. Typically, these compressors have challenges with high service costs, safety and reliability.

Gaining traction

Dr Cordellia Sita, director of HySA Systems, says: "Fuel cell-powered forklifts are gaining significant traction worldwide, and are now entering mainstream commercialisation. However, the limited availability of refuelling infrastructure, coupled with the challenge of finding the most appropriate on-board hydrogen storage technology, remains a big challenge. Through this demonstration project, HySA Systems has addressed both challenges through the use of a novel metal hydride material for both hydrogen compression and storage."

A recent report by Markets and Markets notes the fuel cell market is expected to grow from $2.61 billion in 2014 to $5.20 billion by 2019, with a CAGR of 14.7% from 2014 to 2019.

According to the research, Asia-Pacific is estimated to be the largest value-generating region for fuel cells, with Japan and South Korea being the major countries driving the market.

The demand for fuel cells is also increasing rapidly in regions like Europe and North America. Globally, it adds, the market is growing at a slower rate due to lesser awareness.

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