They should first collaborate to make grey hydrogen go blue as an interim step to going all-out green
03 September 2024 - 16:46
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Tiisetso Motsoeneng’s most recent column refers (“The case for hydrogen alchemy”, September 3). I’m struggling to connect the synergy dots between hydrogen producers and the platinum group metals (PGM) industry.
The risk the Implats CEO is referring to relates to electrical vehicles replacing internal combustion vehicles, resulting in fewer catalytic converters — a primary market for PGMs. Most PGM mines are underground whereas (high emission) mining trucks are largely used in opencast mines.
The likelihood that economies will convert to solar, wind and hydro electricity before the hydrogen economy becomes viable is real. In addition to the cost of production (green hydrogen is green electricity intensive), there are safety concerns and a lack of suitable infrastructure to get the fuel from point of production to where it is consumed.
The PGM industry and hydrogen producers should first collaborate to make grey hydrogen go blue as an interim step to going all-out green. In parallel, the PGM industry should find its niche in the electrified economy, which will not go away.
Con Blignaut Via BusinessLIVE
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Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Hydrogen-PGM synergy questionable
They should first collaborate to make grey hydrogen go blue as an interim step to going all-out green
Tiisetso Motsoeneng’s most recent column refers (“The case for hydrogen alchemy”, September 3). I’m struggling to connect the synergy dots between hydrogen producers and the platinum group metals (PGM) industry.
The risk the Implats CEO is referring to relates to electrical vehicles replacing internal combustion vehicles, resulting in fewer catalytic converters — a primary market for PGMs. Most PGM mines are underground whereas (high emission) mining trucks are largely used in opencast mines.
The likelihood that economies will convert to solar, wind and hydro electricity before the hydrogen economy becomes viable is real. In addition to the cost of production (green hydrogen is green electricity intensive), there are safety concerns and a lack of suitable infrastructure to get the fuel from point of production to where it is consumed.
The PGM industry and hydrogen producers should first collaborate to make grey hydrogen go blue as an interim step to going all-out green. In parallel, the PGM industry should find its niche in the electrified economy, which will not go away.
Con Blignaut
Via BusinessLIVE
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
TIISETSO MOTSOENENG: The case for hydrogen alchemy
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