JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – A national roadmap for platinum-catalysed hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) needs to be developed to complement the electric vehicle (EV) roadmap drawn up six years ago, says uYilo Electric Mobility director Hiten Parmar.

uYilo is an initiative of the Technology Innovation Agency, a schedule 3A public entity of South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation.

Parmar says a national roadmap for FCEVs, to complement the publication of the EV roadmap of 2013, should take in viewpoints of the private and public sectors.

As expressed at Nedbank CIB Market Research’s conference on fuel cells last month, this roadmap would need to define the short-, medium- and long-term steps towards harnessing local platinum reserves and the development of the envisaged hydrogen economy, Parmar stated in written responses to questions for Mining Weekly’s upcoming special feature on fuel cells.

Currently, EVs are multi-classified as mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and FCEVs.

The uYilo Electric Mobility Programme has been executing a national mandate to enable, facilitate and mobilise electric mobility into South Africa, leveraging growth within the local ‘green’ economy and providing sector-specific deliveries towards the National Development Plan 2030.

The organisation advances the uptake of electric mobility through government lobbying, industry engagement, pilot projects, enterprise development, human capacity development and thought leadership, in line with global technology advancements in the transport, energy and information technology sectors and the need for improved air quality in cities.

Supporting facilities in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth, extend across national accredited lead-acid and lithium-ion battery testing, materials testing, electric vehicle systems and a smart grid ecosystem. A satellite office in Johannesburg provides direct engagement to public and private sector stakeholders.

“Access to large platinum reserves is only one opportunity, a broader framework is required to develop the envisaged hydrogen economy,” says Parmar.

Commercial production, market pricing and supporting infrastructure would need to be in place to support the broader uptake of FCEVs in South Africa.

The green transport strategy approved by Cabinet in August last year includes fuel cells as one of the technologies to combat specifically road transport emissions, which in South Africa is highlighted as 91.2% of emissions across the transport sector.

Although strategic pillar 8 specifically defines promotion of EVs and HEVs, other supporting policy framework needs to include FCEVs.

The hydrogen economy still needs to be unlocked and aligned to commercial deployment. The outputs of this would then have the potential to provide wealth creation, minerals beneficiation and job generation.

To make FCEVs a dominant feature of South African mobility, FCEV technology would need to be deployed for the transportation of hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle and infrastructure specifications would have to be laid down, along with occupational health and safety stipulations.

Parmar advocates the establishment of a central public-private body to coordinate FCEV initiatives, strengthen the FCEV business case and then also support the Electric Vehicle Industry Association.

The value-chain efficiencies of FCEV technology would also need to be laid out.

The uYilo programme’s formal position on the 2013 electric vehicle roadmap is in drafting and due to be released soon.

However, activities the uYilo Programme has delivered include government lobbying through active participation in national, provisional and local government forums to advocate uptake of EVs, and public-private academic investment into battery testing, EV systems and a smart grid ecosystem.

Government lobbying and industry engagement is also under way on custom and excise duty and ad valorem tax imposed on EVs, engagement on the South African Automotive Master Plan 2035 for inclusion of manufacturing incentives for local EV production.

FUEL CELL FEATURE UPCOMING

To advertise in Mining Weekly’s upcoming feature on Fuel Cells, contact Creamer Media COO Sales and Marketing Reinette Classen at +27 11 622 3744.