By the end of the year, the world’s largest hydrogen-powered land vehicle will crawl on the dusty plains of the Bushveld region of South Africa. Japan's Komatsu, which specializes in the production of heavy industrial machinery, will send a 300-ton truck to the platinum mine under the Anglo American Platinum Group. These vehicles are common in mining sites, and their huge payload capacity is used to transport ore for processing.

These robotic beasts traditionally use diesel to ignite the engine, but this one will be different. It will be powered by hydrogen through a clean burning fuel cell. Mark Kutifani, chief executive officer of Komatsu of Japan, said that eventually, all of the company's mining vehicles will use emission-free technology.

"We will use wind or solar energy to generate hydrogen, and then replace diesel in trucks, and we will achieve a carbon-free energy footprint." More and more people see hydrogen as a clean alternative to fossil fuels. It has no harmful emissions and the only by-product is water. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, hydrogen projects worth US$95 billion are underway globally.

South Africa produces about 80% of the world’s platinum

From the UAE to the United States, many countries are developing technologies to use the most abundant elements in the universe as energy sources. However, few countries can get the most benefit from hydrogen like South Africa, which produces about 80% of the world's platinum. This metal provides a catalyst that can help convert hydrogen into electricity through a fuel cell.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that South Africa is developing the "Platinum Valley", which will promote the development of technologies such as generators and vehicles. Tax incentives will be introduced to encourage local and foreign investment in the industry.

Ramaphosa told the Parliament: “In my opinion, this is a great opportunity to build a local skills base and lead the country into a new era of energy production and platinum group metal demand.” The hydrogen generators that have been deployed are currently being deployed. Field hospitals set up to respond to the surge in new crown virus infections provide emergency power.

“Through this South African hydrogen energy strategy, the government and its partners have successfully deployed hydrogen fuel cells to provide electricity to some of our schools and build hospitals as part of the country’s response to the Covid-19 epidemic.”

The government is under tremendous pressure to increase energy supply, and industry and commerce are often interrupted by power outages. The power grid that relies on coal becomes tense with age, while providing more than 90% of the country's electricity capacity.

Zanelle Mbata, chief executive of Bambili Energy, which provides emergency generators for field hospitals, said the country is procuring more renewable energy, but fuel cells may also be part of the solution. She said: "Fuel cells are highly reliable energy sources. We are very confident in our system that they can provide the main power for field hospitals-hospitals with advanced care and intensive care units."

South Africa is also exploring other hydrogen-related technologies. The State Post Office is trialling hydrogen-powered motorcycles, and the National Science and Industry Research Council is building a prototype drone, which is said to be able to fly at high altitudes for up to eight hours using electric motors and fuel cells.

The project leader, CSIR senior engineer Eric Wegman, said that such drones are useful in places where low-cost aerial surveys are needed, such as infrastructure monitoring, geological surveys and even agriculture. “One can imagine using a drone to view farmers’ crops to determine which areas need to be fertilized and which areas do not need to be fertilized, thereby saving costs.”

South Africa transforms from an energy importer to an energy exporter

By using hydrogen, South Africa can even reverse its expenditure on imported fuels and become a net exporter. The country is an ideal environment for wind and solar production, which can be used to power electrolysis plants that produce hydrogen from water.

Currently, South Africa burns 12 billion liters of diesel and 10 billion liters of gasoline each year, most of which are imported. Jonathan Metcalf, head of hydrogen strategy at consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers South Africa, said: "We can use this to transform ourselves from an energy importer to an energy exporter."

Metcalfe pointed out that the adoption of a hydrogen energy strategy may completely change South Africa's economy, and South Africa is currently under a record 43% unemployment rate. The country already has the infrastructure needed to increase exports, such as ports and roads.

South Africa even has an automobile industry that may manufacture hydrogen-based cars for export. Metcalfe added that the industrialized world is moving towards hydrogen, and South Africa should take advantage of this advantage through the manufacture and export of fuel.

"In order to stimulate the economy, we need more sources of export revenue. Taking advantage of our advantage in South Africa, hydrogen provides a compelling reason to generate vital foreign exchange." Editor/Xu Shengpeng