As part of its hydrogen ambitions for the continent, the Africa Hydrogen Partnership (AHP) is looking at the idea of establishing three hydrogen valleys and a ‘Hydrogen Road,’ according to one AHP member.
Ian Fraser, AHP honorary member and co-founder, and Managing Director, RTS Africa Engineering, said the industry body has identified three hubs for hydrogen valleys: Johannesburg, which stretches from Rustenburg to Pretoria; Durban, which includes the city and extends to Richards Bay; and Limpopo province, which is centered around mining giant Anglo American’s Mogalakwena Platinum Group Metals mine.
He said that AHP is working on a second, longer-term proposal that envisions the creation of a “Hydrogen Road” connecting Southern and Eastern Africa, where all road transport would run on green hydrogen.
“A road going from Cape Town to Pretoria, with some linkages down to the coast up to Harare, and up to Nairobi, Mombasa, Addis Ababa, and a few of inland links,” according to the project.
Anglo American’s experimental initiative to convert two ore haulers to hydrogen power is going well, according to Fraser.
Anglo American and Engie announced a partnership in October 2019 to construct and fuel the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine transport truck.
“By June of this year, we expect these vehicles to be running on green hydrogen,” he stated. “Using two 350 Nm3/h NEL Hydrogen Alkaline Electrolysers, the project will create 700 Normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/h) hydrogen. Solar electricity will be used with grid backup.”
Long-term goals include converting Mogalkwena’s full haul truck fleet to hydrogen and introducing decarbonized hydrogen mobility to additional Anglo-American mines.
