dsi hydrogen fuel cell tech

FUELING HER FUTURE

MEET A STUDENT WHO STUDIED THE SIX-WEEK DSI HYDROGEN FUEL CELL TECH PROGRAMME.

By: Unathi Kondile

Iwrite 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.

"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

North TVET college to learn about a new hydrogen fuel cell technology. The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) partnered with Bambili Energy, the South African National Energy Development Institute, and the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority to present the six-week course to unemployed TVET graduates with N4 or N6-level qualifications in electrical and chemical engineering.

"The HySA programme is shifting its focus from research, development and innovation to address manufacturing capability. To support the manufacturing and deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in South Africa," said a statement from the DSI.

"The course started in November 2020 and was run over a period of six weeks," says Ndala. "At the time, I knew nothing about hydrogen fuel cell technology but was curious. I googled it and wanted to know more!"

Ndala found the course to be very useful as she was introduced to different types of renewable energy. "We learnt about fuel cells, basic house wiring, basic computer literacy, firefighting and first aid," she adds.

In the next five to ten years it is hoped that hydrogen fuel cells, combined with renewable energies such as solar and wind power, are set to grow in the country. With that growth we might even see Eskom affording such systems as well; either by acting as a back-up or alternative power source in South Africa.

The future for Ndala? Apart from running her own motor workshop, she still hopes to go back into a corporate company where she can work as an occupational health and safety officer.

"Having worked in these engineering environments I have also come to realise the importance of safety in the workplace; from your protective equipment to your mental health and generally working in a health workplace. I now think that is where my future lies. Overseeing the health aspects of our engineering world."