Steve Phiri, Andries Rossouw (from left top) and Natascha Viljoen, Nico Muller (from left bottom)
Photo by: Creamer Media
Promoting the hydrogen economy should be South Africa’s number one priority, Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) CEO Steve Phiri said this month.
Speaking during a panel discussion on the current state of the platinum group metals (PGMs) industry at the virtual 2020 PGMs Industry Day, Phiri said that this promotion should be done by way of the partnership between the PGMs industry, government and the development banks.
He told the conference, attended virtually by Engineering News & Mining Weekly, that strides taken by the State of California and China to promote the hydrogen economy were indications of what could be done through private-sector and public- sector collaboration.
“You have to get government into the picture. It’s not solely an industry matter. What’s needed is a partnership between the industry, government, development banks and everyone else,” he said during an online debate moderated by PwC South Africa partner Andries Rossouw and in which Anglo American Platinum CEO Natascha Viljoen and Impala Platinum CEO Nico Muller participated.