South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, closed out the summer of 2015 with a visit to Japan in order to enrich cooperation between the two countries in the field of hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Accompanied by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, Pandor held several engagements with Japanese stakeholders, including a round table meeting with academic institutions and a Symposium on the Hydrogen Economy.
Hydrogen and fuel-cell technology presents a niche area for collaboration between the two countries. While Japan has already started to create a hydrogen economy—boasting the largest share of patents in this field—South Africa has considerable deposits of platinum, which is a key catalytic material used in fuel cells.
As part of the global agenda to integrate energy systems, South Africa has positioned itself as a significant player in developing these technologies. During the Minister’s address to the Symposium on the Hydrogen Economy, she said there was a global movement toward developing sustainable energy systems and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “For this reason, the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier, combined with fuel-cell technology, has attracted considerable interest from governments, international bodies, and commercial companies worldwide,” said Pandor.
Hydrogen, electrolyzer, and fuel-cell combinations offer a viable and cost-effective method of storing energy on a large scale, especially in instances where the energy is generated during times of low demand. When used as feedstock for fuel cells, hydrogen produces electricity at a high efficiency—with zero emissions—even for applications such as road vehicles and electricity-generation. Globally, a number of companies are developing megawatt-scale proton-exchange membrane electrolyzers to improve energy-storage applications.
In South Africa, the Department of Minerals and Energy projects that 40 GW of new energy generation capacity should be in place by 2030, of which 42% will be derived from renewable energy sources. Of this, 1 GW is expected to be concentrated solar power, which uses thermal storage, and approximately 17 GW will be a combination of wind and other renewable energy options, mostly photovoltaic systems.
“This creates an opportunity for local energy storage that could play a significant role in on-grid and off-grid applications. In this regard, energy is the critical area that needs to be consolidated and strengthened in terms of security of supply and access, as well as for environmental protection,” said Pandor.
She said that South Africa needs to reduce its dependence on imported oil and increase the percentage of alternative energy sources in the energy mix. For broad-based economic development to take place in the country, access to affordable, safe, clean, and reliable energy is crucial.
