Anglo American plc
Anglo American plc
10/08/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/08/2021 05:37
Anglo American reinforces commitment to hydrogen economy in South Africa
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08 October, 2021
Anglo American, in collaboration with South Africa's Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the South African National Development Institute (SANEDI), Engie and Bambili Energy, has announced the results of a feasibility study to explore the potential for a hydrogen valley anchored in the platinum group metals-rich Bushveld geological area, along the industrial and commercial corridor to Johannesburg and to the south coast at Durban.
Natascha Viljoen, CEO of Anglo American's PGMs business, said: "The opportunity to create new engines of economic activity through hydrogen has been validated through this feasibility study with our partners. As a leading producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), we have for some years been working towards establishing the right ecosystem to successfully develop, scale-up and deploy hydrogen-fuelled solutions. These include investing in innovative ventures and enabling technologies, as well as forging wide-ranging collaborations across industry, to fully harness the transformative potential of green hydrogen for our economy in South Africa."
The feasibility study identifies three hubs - Johannesburg, extending to Rustenburg and Pretoria; Durban, encompassing the city itself and Richards Bay; and Limpopo province centred around Anglo American's Mogalakwena PGMs mine - with a fundamental role to play in integrating hydrogen into South Africa's economy, and in establishing South Africa and its abundant renewable energy resources as a strategically important centre for green hydrogen production.
Nine key pilot projects have also been identified across these hubs and are recommended to be prioritised by developers. They span the transport, industrial, and construction sectors.
Following the publication of the feasibility study results, Anglo American will work with South Africa's DSI and the other partners on the implementation of relevant projects, as well as continue to progress its own company-led initiatives towards development of the hydrogen economy.
Anglo American is already investing in renewable hydrogen production technology at its Mogalakwena PGMs mine and in the development of hydrogen-powered fuel cell mine haul trucks - the world's largest to run on hydrogen.
The findings of the feasibility study were shared on Friday, 8 October - International Hydrogen Day - during a dedicated virtual event. Please click here to access the full report.
Anglo American's support for the adoption of hydrogen solutions in transport:
Electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells offer many benefits to the transport sector, including comparable refuelling times to internal combustion engine vehicles, long ranges and space and weight efficiency.
Anglo American is leading initiatives to promote the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for commercial uses in particular, facilitating the creation of consortia to promote the development of hydrogen freight corridors in a number of geographies, including the UK, South Africa and China. These projects aim to accelerate the uptake of heavy-duty FCEVs by aligning end-user demand locations and specifications with the supply of suitable vehicles and access to the requisite hydrogen infrastructure along key freight routes.
Anglo American takes an active role in several industry-led platforms established to facilitate the advancement of hydrogen solutions in key industry sectors. These include the Hydrogen Council, a global CEO-led initiative of 100+ leading companies with a united and long-term vision to develop the hydrogen economy; the UK H2Mobility consortium, established to facilitate dialogue on hydrogen mobility in the UK; the International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association, created under the guidance of China's Society of Automotive Engineers to advance fuel cell scalable applications.
For further information, please contact:
| Media | Investors |
| UK | UK |
| James Wyatt-Tilby | Paul Galloway |
| Email: [email protected] | Email: [email protected] |
| Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8759 | Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8718 |
| Marcelo Esquivel | Juliet Newth |
| Email: [email protected] | Email: [email protected] |
| Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8891 | Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8830 |
| Katie Ryall | Michelle Jarman |
| Email: [email protected] | Email: [email protected] |
| Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8935 | Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 1494 |
| South Africa | |
| Nevashnee Naicker | |
| Email: [email protected] | |
| Tel: +27 (0)71 164 5719 | |
| Sibusiso Tshabalala | |
| Email: [email protected] | |
| Tel: +27 (0)11 638 2175 |
Notes to editors:
Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive operations, with a broad range of future development options, provides many of the future-enabling metals and minerals for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing every day demands of billions of consumers. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers - safely and sustainably.
As a responsible producer of diamonds (through De Beers), copper, platinum group metals, premium quality iron ore and metallurgical coal for steelmaking, and nickel - with crop nutrients in development - we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. More broadly, our Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to a series of stretching goals to ensure we work towards a healthy environment, creating thriving communities and building trust as a corporate leader. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock enduring value from precious natural resources for the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate, for society as a whole, and for our shareholders. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people's lives.
Forward-looking statements:
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