[miningmx.com] — ANGLO American Platinum (Amplats) on Wednesday showcased a fuel cell driven locomotive prototype, saying the move formed part of the company’s efforts to facilitate the development of new applications and markets for its mined product.
The group would now proceed to assess the viability of the prototype for use in its operations, whereafter it would integrate five locomotives into its mining fleet for final evaluation during 2013.
Amplats currently has a total fleet of 800 locomotives, and would introduce more fuel cell driven models depending on the outcome of the trial.
Fuel cells are devices that use hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity. The technology implemented by Amplats uses platinum group metals as a catalyst. It has been around for decades and proven to be a clean energy source.
However, apart from its use in niche applications, fuel cells have so far failed to gain widespread traction as an economically viable source of alternative energy.
The largest markets for fuel cell today are in stationary power, portable and auxiliary power and materials handling.
Amplats CEO Neville Nicolau said the group has now implemented a fuel cell strategy in order to drive demand for PGM’s, specifically in South Africa.
“We’ve always been talking about it, but now we have a part in developing the market,’ he said. “One cannot take for granted that there will always be a market for automotive catalysts.’
As part of this strategy, Amplats acquired an equity stake in Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, which is dedicated to the development and manufacture of catalysts, membrane electrode assemblies, fuel processors, as well as catalysed components for low temperature fuel cell systems.
The company also launched a R100m fund in 2009 to support related businesses in South Africa. It is working with Altergy, a US-based fuel cells company, to manufacture fuel cell systems locally and in sub-Saharan Africa.
Amplats chairperson Cynthia Carroll said at the recent COP17-event in Durban that a report by the UK’s Carbon Trust highlighted the possibilities for the creation of “hundreds of thousands’ of new South African jobs in the industry over the next 30 years.
In 2011, the group identified applications in its own operations. The locomotive is the first prototype to be tested. Other projects include the use of fuel cells in mining cap lamps and the powering of in-house residential projects.
