Emerging mobility applications for hydrogen, such as heavy-duty mobility and materials handling equipment used in mining, provide an ideal market for the increased uptake of green hydrogen technology in South Africa, states hydrogen technology provider Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser Division SVP Filip Smeets.

An ideal example of this is diversified major Anglo American’s Rhyno Phase 1 project, in which the miner has partnered with energy company ENGIE to develop and fuel the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck, he adds. Nel supplies the electrolyser system for this project.

“Over the past years, we have been selling some of our small hydrogen units to the South African market for more industrial applications. “The most important project, however, and which we’ve been working on for the past two years, is the Rhyno Phase 1 project, which is still in execution.”

Nel Hydrogen, a global hydrogen company that delivers solutions to produce, store and distribute hydrogen from renewable energy, has two divisions.

The first focuses on hydrogen refuelling stations technology, and is based in Denmark.

The second is the electrolyser division, which focuses on two technology platforms: alkaline electrolysis technology, with operations based in Norway, and proton exchange membrane electrolysis technology, which is based in the US.

At the end of 2019, Nel Hydrogen received an order for a 3.5 MW electrolyser from ENGIE. The electrolyser forms part of ENGIE’s hydrogen solution for Anglo American’s fuel cell-powered haul truck.

Smeets contends that the application of this technology could be vital for the sustainability of the South African mining sector which, in turn, could be a vital market for green hydrogen technology.

“By developing more viable solutions for renewable hydrogen use cases for companies, such as Anglo American, we’re working closely with the mining sector to develop the right kind of technology that can be deployed in South Africa, as well as the rest of the world.”

Decarbonisation

Smeets stresses that, in terms of legislation – and as countries worldwide become more aligned in driving the transition to use renewable energy – there will be a “convergence” on the primary legislative support mechanisms required to drive this transition.

He highlights carbon dioxide (CO₂) pricing mechanisms that have been implemented in Europe and China. These mechanisms result in increasing the price of CO₂ emissions, which, in turn, incentivises industry to move towards more sustainable technologies.

Another mechanism that Smeets says is becoming more prevalent is mandatory quotas that governments impose on industry sectors to comply with emission reduction goals.

He adds that, while this energy transition has also been ongoing for over 15 years globally, the share of the energy generation sector that has been converted to renewable energy still needs to increase.

“While there will be more wind and solar photovoltaic projects being deployed, given the intermittency of these renewable sources, there will be moments where supply and demand are not in balance, and where there is a surplus of wind, or solar or both.

“The next step in the energy transition, as more and more renewable power becomes available, would then be to convert larger quantities of renewable power into renewable fuel in the form of hydrogen. This is what we will see happening in the near future,” he comments.

Green Steel

Smeets enthuses that, to decarbonise its activities going forward, Nel Hydrogen is looking to use more environmentally sustainable “green steel” in the manufacturing of the components needed for its electrolyser solutions in the future.

The company is working with several steel manufacturers globally regarding the deployment of green hydrogen capacity to produce green steel, instead of coal and natural gas.

“Green steel manufacturers are looking at deploying around 2024 or 2025, which will be the starting point of this roll-out of green steel. Once it becomes available, we will use it for our internal manufacturing of electrolyser components,” he concludes.

Smeets enthuses that, to decarbonise its activities going forward, Nel Hydrogen is looking to use more environmentally sustainable “green steel” in the manufacturing of the components needed for its electrolyser solutions in the future.

The company is working with several steel manufacturers globally regarding the deployment of green hydrogen capacity to produce green steel, instead of coal and natural gas.

“Green steel manufacturers are looking at deploying around 2024 or 2025, which will be the starting point of this roll-out of green steel. “Once it becomes available, we will use it for our internal manufacturing of electrolyser components,” he concludes.