The South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has played a key role in the recent successful implementation of a green hydrogen production project.
UWC, through SAIAMC partnered with a joint venture consisting of Keren Energy, Sakhumnotho, Cape Stack and Namaqua Engineering on a green hydrogen proof of concept (POC) project in Vredendal in South Africa’s Western Cape.
SAIAMC had the role as the lead technology and skills development partner.
The project is among the first in South Africa to demonstrate the feasibility of producing green hydrogen using solar energy as the energy source.
The pilot includes a 100kW photovoltaic system.
The hydrogen generated will be used in various industrial applications and, ultimately, in fuel cell vehicles of the future.
Keren Energy, a renewable energy company with a solar, biomass and hydro energy focus, has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and a joint development agreement with Cape Stack, a hydrogen electrolyser and fuel cell stack production company.
Cape Stack has a technology development partnership with SAIAMC.
Technology transfer and hydrogen electrolyser technology development at UWC has taken more than 20 years and gained momentum with the participation of Stanford Chidziva (pictured), SAIAMC technical and safety manager.
Chidziva initiated the prototype green hydrogen production system for general hydrogen consumption at the SAIAMC Innovation Center’s RDI facility.
In addition the Vredendal green hydrogen project provides a good platform and outlet for SAIAMC’s human development programme through which graduates from Universities of Technology (UoT) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges can enhance employment prospects in the energy market.
The Vredendal project provides a real-world setting for practical training with SAIAMC through which graduates and other energy professionals can be exposed to a working green hydrogen project.