Research and development to support SA’s green economy
SA is making progress in its transition to a low-carbon and green economy, with government developing policies and implementing plans through the commitment and actions of multiple sectors and stakeholders, including institutions of higher education, business, labour and community organisations.
As highlighted in the National Development Plan (NDP), transitioning to a green economy is one of government’s key imperatives. The NDP places great emphasis on the need to ensure environmental sustainability and the role of green products and services in creating jobs, alleviating poverty and ensuring a balanced transition to a low-carbon green economy.
For the Department of Science and Technology (DST), its commitment to a green economy is evident from its many different research and development initiatives.
Investments in hydrogen fuel cell technologies are clearly signalled in its Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) Strategy. Together with Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), the department is at the forefront of supporting the development of hydrogen compression and distribution technologies with a particular focus on the safe use of hydrogen in an underground mining environment.
The development of electrochemical hydrogen compression (EHC) and liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technologies have been supported through the HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence at North-West University in Potchefstroom. The objective of the development is to support the use of hydrogen fuel cells underground, by reducing the cost of storage and distribution of hydrogen while addressing issues of safety.
EHC is a potentially highly efficient, low-maintenance and silent technology to produce high pressure hydrogen, and LOHC enables safe and efficient high-density hydrogen storage in an easy-to-handle nontoxic organic liquid, thus eliminating the need for pressurised tanks for storage and transport. Globally, both EHC and LOHC are considered potentially game-changing technologies that could facilitate the greater deployment of hydrogen fuel cells in various applications.
Amplats plans to launch a hydrogen fuel cell-powered dozer using LOHC technology some time in 2019, according to Amplats CEO Chris Griffith.
Through a memorandum of understanding signed in 2014, the DST and the South African Post Office (Sapo) entered into an agreement to work together on clean energy initiatives, in particular through fuel cell powered vehicles.
The HySA Systems Centre of Competence at the University of the Western Cape has already demonstrated its capability in using fuel cells for range extension, with the development of the first hydrogen fuel cell battery golf cart on South African soil.
At the time, Sapo had acquired three battery-electric scooters from Germany, which were run as a pilot project. The main challenge with the scooters was their limited range within the South African environment. With the DST’s funding, the electric scooters are being converted to a hybrid of lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells as a range extender using HySA technology.
Successful conversion of the scooters is expected to show significant performance improvement in the distance covered by the scooters on a single charge (range) as well as the battery life.
The first scooter was completed by July 31 2018 and is currently undergoing testing to confirm the range and overall performance.
To fast-track the development and commercialisation of key technologies that primarily support the electric vehicle industry, with supplementary support towards electric mobility (eMobility) as a whole, the uYilo e-Mobility Technology Innovation Programme (EMTIP) was established in 2013.
Hosted by Nelson Mandela University’s research, design and technology support centre, eNtsa, and managed by the DST’s entity, the Technology Innovation Agency, the programme serves as a national multistakeholder collaborative programme focused on enabling, facilitating, mobilising and pioneering electric mobility growth for the country’s green economy.
As one of the uYilo initiatives in demonstrating various e-Mobility modes and concepts, a bike-sharing scheme using electric bicycles, eBikes, has
THE NDP PLACES GREAT EMPHASIS ON THE NEED TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ROLE OF GREEN PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY INITIATIVE IS TIMELY CONSIDERING THE ROLE BIOENERGY CAN PLAY IN AFRICA’S TRANSFORMATION TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY A BIKE-SHARING SCHEME USING ELECTRIC BICYCLES, EBIKES, HAS BEEN DEPLOYED AT THE NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY’S NORTH & SOUTH CAMPUSES
been deployed at the Nelson Mandela University’s North and South campuses.
The sharing scheme allows staff and students the opportunity to use the eBikes from the fleet for intercampus transport.
Each eBike charge station power supply is generated from solar energy, which means a renewable energy source is used for a green transport solution.
Hiten Parmar, director of the uYilo EMTIP, says that the programme plans to continue advancing the enabling, facilitating and mobilising environment through lobbying across policy and regulatory frameworks.
“This will be done by facilitating technological advances and mobilising skills and training for the development of small, medium and micro-sized enterprises,” he says.
Professor Emile van Zyl, the holder of the South African research chair in biofuel and other clean alternative fuels at Stellenbosch University, has been instrumental in establishing new technologies for secondgeneration biofuel production, which is the conversion of total plant biomass to biofuels, in SA.
“The alternative energy initiative is timely considering the crucial role bioenergy can play in Africa’s transformation to a more sustainable bioeconomy and future.
“While exploring complementary technologies to utilise waste-based feedstock and also produce higher value products, I will continue with the development of advanced technologies for the cost-effective conversion of plant biomass to biofuels,” says Van Zyl.