Energy

Hydrogen fuel cells are attracting interest.

Alocally-developed stationary hydrogen fuel cell is the subject of a test at the refinery of Impala Platinum in Springs, east of Johannesburg. Engineering News reported in 2021 that the first signs are positive. Implats has donated 16ha for the project and is invested in AP Ventures, a London-based company that invests in companies that use platinum group metals to promote the fight against climate change.

Gold Fields is on course to build a 40MW solar power plant at its South Deep mine west of Johannesburg. Harmony, which has several mines in Gauteng, is already operating a 30MW solar plant in the neighbouring Free State province.

Areas in the Gauteng province that can no longer rely on the mining industry to drive their economies may become focus zones for solar PV projects. Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZs) have been allocated in other provinces but the potential for REDZs in Gauteng is huge, because vast amounts of energy needed to drive the country’s biggest economy.

These zones would be developed in line with the national Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019) which the Gauteng Provincial Government is hoping will enable it to unlock several renewable energy projects. Other projects include promoting gas usage, the development of hydrogen fuel-cell technology and the recommissioning of power stations.

In Johannesburg, the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works has its own electricity source in a 1.1MW biogas plant. It produces electricity using cogeneration, which is combined heat and power.

A landfill site at Robinson Deep in Johannesburg has started generating 3MW of gas. This is the first of five renewable energy projects that Energy Systems SA has in Johannesburg. At the Cavalier abattoir in Cullinan, biowaste conversion company ibert provides about a quarter of the power that the abattoir needs to function.

Absa Bank has followed up on its decision to take its central Johannesburg campus off the national grid. Investments in a 6 000-panel rooftop solar system (which cost R10-million),

SECTOR INSIGHT Ford Motor Company has a plan to go off grid. the synchronisation of gas and diesel generators and sophisticated water and underfloor heating systems have all contributed to massive energy savings. The rooftop solar installation at Absa’s Pretoria office provides 17% of its electricity needs and the bank intends rolling out solar solutions for another five offices soon in addition to investigating battery solutions in pursuit of what it calls “net zero offices”. Ford is spending R135-million on building a solar carport at its Silverton plant that will produce 13.5MW. The project is part of a ONLINE RESOURCES bigger project to take the whole plant off the grid, Project Blue Oval. National Energy Regulator of South Africa: www.nersa.org.za Ford is working with Uhuru Africa, South African National Energy Development Institute: www.sanedi.org.za South African Photovoltaic Industry Association: www.sapvia.co.za a joint venture between Uhuru Energy and SolarAfrica Energy. ■

A 100kw natural gas baseload fuel cell powers the offices of Minerals Council SA in Johannesburg. Credit: MineralsCouncil SA