Toyota, Sasol and Air Products team up in new hydrogen fuel pact

In a new partnership, Sasol, Toyota SA and Air Products SA announced a proof-of-concept initiative to promote the use of hydrogen as a fuel of the future.

The collaboration was unveiled at the Smarter Mobility Africa event taking place at Gallagher Estates in Midrand between October 2-4.

In attendance was Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who in his address emphasised Vision 2030, a programme that, according to the province’s first citizen, abandons Johannesburg’s historical importance as a mining area and prioritises a digital future. He said a number of sectors are key to this objective, including smart mobility solutions.

Sasol produces hydrogen fuel that can be produced in liquid or gas form, while Air Products has been conducting hydrogen fuelling for more than 25 years and supplies the dispensing technology.

Toyota SA supplied a hydrogen powered Mirai car for demonstration purposes. The vehicle is equipped with a fuel cell that converts hydrogen stored in tanks to power its electric motors. 

“The partnership between the three companies that was formed in 2021 is an important stepping stone towards realising the ambitious goal of developing an on-road hydrogen mobility ecosystem,” said the CEO of Sasol, Fleetwood Grobler.

The first 3MW batch of green hydrogen produced by Sasol is from a solar farm in Sasolburg. The company says this will be supplemented by a supply of 69MW of renewable energy from a wind farm in the Eastern Cape in 2024 to ramp up production to 3,500 tonnes a day, enough power to commercialise.

The proof-of-concept demonstration was showcased in Midrand using a bespoke Air Products hydrogen tank carrier pumping the gaseous fuel into a mobile hydrogen dispenser. The sustainable alternative to fossil fuels is aimed primarily at electrifying heavy-duty transport in the logistics, transportation and mining fleets.

Toyota SA CEO Andrew Kirby said at the event that the hydrogen market is best suited to longer distance travel and larger vehicles such as trucks and buses.

“The challenge is how to commercialise a hydrogen mobility ecosystem in SA because it is a costly undertaking. It now needs more partners, investors and support from the government,” he said.

“Ideally, we need businesses and fleets to commit up front to buy hydrogen FCEVs [fuel cell electric vehicles] and substantial quantities of hydrogen to make the necessary infrastructure viable. This is going to be an exciting but demanding journey, and Toyota SA is pleased to be part of it.”