Anglo American Reinforces Commitment to Hydrogen Economy in South Africa
Connor Dolan
Anglo American, in collaboration with South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the South African National Development Institute (SANEDI), Engie and Bambili Energy, has announced the results of a feasibility study to explore the potential for a hydrogen valley anchored in the platinum group metals-rich Bushveld geological area, along the industrial and commercial corridor to Johannesburg and to the south coast at Durban.
Natascha Viljoen, CEO of Anglo American’s PGMs business, said: “The opportunity to create new engines of economic activity through hydrogen has been validated through this feasibility study with our partners. As a leading producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), we have for some years been working towards establishing the right ecosystem to successfully develop, scale-up and deploy hydrogen-fuelled solutions. These include investing in innovative ventures and enabling technologies, as well as forging wide-ranging collaborations across industry, to fully harness the transformative potential of green hydrogen for our economy in South Africa.”
The feasibility study identifies three hubs – Johannesburg, extending to Rustenburg and Pretoria; Durban, encompassing the city itself and Richards Bay; and Limpopo province centred around Anglo American’s Mogalakwena PGMs mine – with a fundamental role to play in integrating hydrogen into South Africa’s economy, and in establishing South Africa and its abundant renewable energy resources as a strategically important centre for green hydrogen production.
Nine key pilot projects have also been identified across these hubs and are recommended to be prioritised by developers. They span the transport, industrial, and construction sectors.
Following the publication of the feasibility study results, Anglo American will work with South Africa’s DSI and the other partners on the implementation of relevant projects, as well as continue to progress its own company-led initiatives towards development of the hydrogen economy.
Anglo American is already investing in renewable hydrogen production technology at its Mogalakwena PGMs mine and in the development of hydrogen-powered fuel cell mine haul trucks – the world’s largest to run on hydrogen.
The findings of the feasibility study were shared on Friday, 8 October – International Hydrogen Day – during a dedicated virtual event. Please click here to access the full report.
Anglo American’s support for the adoption of hydrogen solutions in transport:
Electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells offer many benefits to the transport sector, including comparable refuelling times to internal combustion engine vehicles, long ranges and space and weight efficiency.
Anglo American is leading initiatives to promote the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for commercial uses in particular, facilitating the creation of consortia to promote the development of hydrogen freight corridors in a number of geographies, including the UK, South Africa and China. These projects aim to accelerate the uptake of heavy-duty FCEVs by aligning end-user demand locations and specifications with the supply of suitable vehicles and access to the requisite hydrogen infrastructure along key freight routes.
Anglo American takes an active role in several industry-led platforms established to facilitate the advancement of hydrogen solutions in key industry sectors. These include the Hydrogen Council, a global CEO-led initiative of 100+ leading companies with a united and long-term vision to develop the hydrogen economy; the UK H2Mobility consortium, established to facilitate dialogue on hydrogen mobility in the UK; the International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association, created under the guidance of China’s Society of Automotive Engineers to advance fuel cell scalable applications.
Click here for the full press release from AngloAmerican.