The two companies plan to develop a fuel cell vehicle ecosystem in the nation
BMW AG has partnered with Sasol Limited and they are working with Anglo American Platinum
Limited Amplax to develop infrastructure in South Africa that will encourage the production
and use of hydrogen cars in the country. According to the company, BMW will provide a fuel cell iX5 support utility vehicle and
Sasol will deliver the green hydrogen. Additionally, Amplax will work with the partners to support the development of a local green
hydrogen mobility ecosystem. Amplax mines platinum group metals that are used in fuel cell electric vehicles
CEO of BMW Group South Africa, Peter Van Binkbergen, told reporters at a Cape Town conference that
the automotive company is still trailing the technology that utilizes green hydrogen as
it assesses the market and will need to see costs come down. Bloomberg reported, from there, BMW would need to see a fuel infrastructure developed
before a bigger rollout of hydrogen cars could be considered, said the CEO
Hydrogen cars require a hydrogen economy. Of course, encouraging the development and use of hydrogen cars requires hydrogen fuel
production and infrastructure. Transitioning to lower carbon energy sources will be a challenge for South Africa
Presently, the nation mostly relies on coal-fired power plants to generate electricity
Additionally, the country is high in employment, which could become worse if there is lower
demand for its minerals. The government estimates that about 172,000 people work in South Africa's platinum sector
The plan is to protect those environments by developing green hydrogen. A collaboration was signed by South Africa's Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape
provinces to enhance green hydrogen via shared infrastructure. Additionally, the nation has held talks with Angola and Namibia to coordinate plans in
the region to further develop the clean fuel. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there has been tremendous interest around
investing in green hydrogen, Bloomberg reported. The agreement by BMW, Saffo, and Amplaf shows the momentum green hydrogen technology has
gained in the nation, and we're willing, ready, and prepared to listen to what the
private sector has to say, Ramaphosa added. It will be interesting to see what this partnership achieves and if they reach their objective
of developing an ecosystem for hydrogen cars in South Africa. Thank you for tuning in
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