By Gavin du Venage, South Africa Editor
Hydrogen energy is an idea that just won’t go away, and there are few more enthusiastic about it than South African platinum producers. Proponents say hydrogen is a potential source of energy that is clean, abundant, and, in the case of automobiles, has the same convenience for consumers as gasoline or diesel. A fuel cell using a platinum catalyst could convert hydrogen to electricity, power a generator or vehicle. Unlike batteries that take hours to charge, fuel cells can be topped up
in minutes.
“Fuel cell cars have a very similar user-experience to fossil fuels,” said Suren Rajaruthnam, Head of energy at Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), speaking at the 2023 Hydrogen Discussion forum held in Johannesburg in July.
Anglo has led the charge developing the technology and has recently completed initial trials for a heavy haul fuel cell truck. This is the world’s largest hydrogen-powered vehicle, with a 290-ton payload and a higher power output than a conventional diesel engine. The first phase of this pilot is complete and further developments of the technology are underway.
Anglo is also looking to develop hydrogen projects in Europe, especially Germany which is one of the largest investors in hydrogen technology. “There’s a lot of interest for trucks, companies like Hyundai, Toyota and others are looking to this as their solution to decarbonization,” Rajaruthnam said.
Finding a new market for platinum products is urgent. Platinum producers were especially vulnerable to a decline in fossil fuel use. Many countries require catalytic converters fitted to vehicle exhausts to reduce emissions. These usually require platinum-based metals to convert toxic gases to less harmful substances.
As motorists turn to electric vehicles, demand for catalytic converters will decline. “As our demand for diesel and petrol declines, so will demand for platinum” said Sietse van der Woude, senior executive, Modernization and Safety, at industry body Minerals Council South Africa. “So, we need to develop and protect our resource through developing these technologies.”
Hydrogen could play a role in providing electricity for South Africa, which is experiencing severe power outages that last hours per day. The catalytic process could also be applied to water purification, especially in mining areas where toxic contaminants in ground water rendered it too poisonous for human or agricultural consumption.
