PROFILE
I
write this in the dark. Our old friend loadshedding is back. South Africa's energy provider did warn us ahead of time. But, do we really have to endure all these power outages? Is there really no alternative solution? Other forms of energy like hydrogen fuel cell technology is a very real alternative energy source.
FUELING HER FUTURE MEET A STUDENT WHO STUDIED THE SIX-WEEK DSI HYDROGEN FUEL CELL TECH PROGRAMME. By: Unathi Kondile
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Science Stars Energy Issue | www.sciencestars.co.za
"The problem is that hydrogen cell technology is still new here and this means that it is very expensive to produce. You have to also look at having the actual installation capital to start with," says Virginia Nompumelelo Ndala, who recently completed a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology programme at Tshwane North TVET College. Ndala, 27, grew up in the dusty township of Hammanskraal where she attended Lefofa Primary School and later matriculated in 2011 at Sikhululekile Secondary School. She was raised by her grandparents whilst her mother worked as a cashier at the Atteridgeville Swimming Pool. It was her grandfather who kept on motivating her to strive for the best. So, it was little surprise to find a young Ndala dreaming of being an auto electrician. "I was fascinated by cars; how they work and how you can actually maintain a car youself. For me that was very interesting and I wanted to work with cars from a very young age," adds Ndala, who is currently in the process of setting up her own motor spraying workshop in Hammanskraal. It was in Grade 10 that she really took a liking to Maths and Science. Looking back it was a wise decision as she excelled in her studies at a tertiary level. Ndala went on to obtain a N6 in Electrical Engineering with two distinctions in Power Machines and Industrial Electronics from Tshwane TVET North College. Apart from being a trained electrical engineer, she also got the opportunity to study Refrigeration and Airconditioning via the Samsung Academy in 2017. Ndala went on to work as a production assistant at a light production company but due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the company had to cut jobs and she was sadly retrenched. Never one to loose hope, Ndala stayed positive. In September last year, during Level 1 of the lockdown, she took on the opportunity to go back to Tshwane
