Name of the Project
Hydrogen Valley.

Location
The proposed hydrogen valley will extend about 835 km from Anglo American’s Mogalakwena platinum group metals (PGMs) mine near Mokopane, in South Africa’s Limpopo province, along the industrial and commercial corridor to Johannesburg, in Gauteng, and to the south coast at Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal.

Project Owner/s
The project is a collaboration between Anglo American and South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation. The collaboration includes energy and services company ENGIE Impact, the South African National Development Institute and clean energy solutions provider Bambili Energy.

Project Description
Anglo American announced a collaboration agreement in March 2021 to complete a feasibility study to develop a “hydrogen valley” anchored in the PGMs-rich Bushveld geological region.

The study will identify tangible opportunities to build hydrogen hubs and explore the potential for green hydrogen production and supply at scale.

The project’s objective is to identify up to three hydrogen hub zones – with a high concentration of hydrogen demand and access to green hydrogen – which will act as a hydrogen ecosystem. Subsequently, a technoeconomic analysis will be conducted on the hubs to assess the business case for the identified projects, map their potential for a positive social impact, and define the political and regulatory actions needed to create the conditions for implementation.

The regional PGMs industry will be central to such a hydrogen valley, with PGMs playing an important role in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis used to produce hydrogen at scale and in fuel cells.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
ENGIE Impact (feasibility study).

Contact Details for Project Information
Anglo American, Nevashnee Naicker, tel+27 11 638 2592 or email nevashnee.naicker@angloamerican.com.