Naledi Pandor, the Minister of Science and Technology, wants South Africa to achieve 25 percent of the global market in the production of hydrogen and fuel cell catalysts, using novel platinum group metal catalysts.
With platinum being a key component for most fuel cells, Pandor believes the country is well placed to do so, particularly as it has three quarters of the world's platinum reserves.
Speaking at the official opening of a hydrogen fuel cell research laboratory in the Cape Town, Pandor said the country must compete with the UK and Korea, who were world leaders in hydrogen fuel research.
She said while Daimler, Hyundai, Honda and Toyota have all announced plans to have fuel-cell vehicles ready for the market by 2015, there were reports that the UK was planning to have hydrogen driven black cabs in time for the 2012 Olympics.
The UWC Competence Centre on Hydrogen Technology Validation and Systems Integration, University of the Western Cape (HySA Systems), which Pandor officially opened today, is part of the South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry based at the University of the Western Cape.
The centre is one of three hydrogen fuel research institutes, or HySA centres, set up by the government following the approval of the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Research, Development and Innovation Strategy by Cabinet in May 2007.
Mintek and the University of Cape Town co-hosts the Hydrogen Catalysis Centre of Competence, while the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the North-West University co-host the Hydrogen Infrastructure Centre of Competence.
Pandor said hydrogen and fuel cell technologies were part of the energy grand challenge, one of the department's five "grand challenge" fields. "Grand challenges are an important organizing principle for science, technology, and innovation policy. This is how the US organises its innovation strategy and how the EU is planning to organise its innovation strategy," she said. - Buanews
