After a decade of research and development, a benchmarking analysis conducted by US company RCB Hydrides has confirmed the technical progress and future prospects of metal hydride (MH) projects on hydrogen storage and compression being conducted at Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) Systems, for the Department of Science and Innovation.

The report determined that both hydride materials and the prototype refueling stations – based on metal hydride compressors at Western Cape-based HySA – are well advanced and are at the forefront when compared to all international efforts.

RCB also looked at potential market demand and associated economic issues to determine the feasibility and probability for successful development of commercially viable products, based on these reversible MHs.

The report states that the HySA projects should lead to commercially viable systems in the future.

For Phase 2 assessment of the commercialisation potential of the HySA MH programme, RCB recommends using a professional research and development company that is versed in aspects related to diverse hydrogen storage and hydrogen energy technologies.

HySA technology specialist Dr Mykhaylo Lototskyy says hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to transform the country by adding value to its natural resources, improving socioeconomic development, creating jobs and providing energy security, particularly as load-shedding is set to continue for years to come.

With South Africa being considered a key player in the emerging hydrogen economy, it bodes well that the country is also home to 80% of the world’s platinum reserves, since platinum is used as a catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells, adds Lototskyy.

While South Africa is a major platinum producer, the country also has titanium, vanadium, nickel, manganese and rare earth reserves.

Lototskyy says the beneficiation of these mineral resources is a key driver for the development of new high-tech industries for the manufacturing of MH materials and environment-friendly systems realising MH technologies.

MHs are front runners in the storage process of hydrogen owing to their superiority concerning cost, safety, handling and capability of storage.

MH fuel cells are able to chemically bond and store hydrogen within the fuel cell itself, and are prized for their ability to operate at low temperatures, their fast “cold start” properties and their ability to be recharged with electrical energy.

“HySA carries out research and development in metal hydride materials and technologies in close collaboration with the leading world teams in the field (Europe, China and Russia).

“Our success lies in the combined approach to the solution of numerous materials science and engineering problems which arise during developments of various applications of metal hydrides including compact and safe hydrogen storage and thermally-driven hydrogen compression,” says Lototsky.

HySA carefully aligns properties of various MH materials (by variation of their compositions) towards maximum suitability to specification requirements of the target application.  

This is followed by the in-depth studies of other related properties of the materials to yield original engineering solutions for their system integration. The company has more than ten South African and international patents pending and granted since 2009.

“The HySA programme can significantly contribute to South Africa’s sustainable economic efforts by providing sustainable and clean energy through the use of fuel cells for stationary, portable and transport applications,” says HySA director Dr Sivakumar Pasupathi.

“HySA shows how South Africa can extract value from our mineral endowment through research, development and innovation - and use it to power a brighter future,” he adds.

HySA aims to complete Phase 2 of its technology development programme in the next eight months.

Editor's Note: Mining Weekly understands that MH's metal alloys dissolve hydrogen and then release it.