Hydrogen tipped to be energy source of the future

South Africa will have to change from its current status of being a coal-based economy and look to alternative energy sources - if it is to remain globally competitive and environmentally compliant. This is according to scientists at the South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC).

The institute says hydrogen gas is likely to dominate the exploration of future energy sources. The University of the Western Cape is home to government's soon to be launched research hub into the often controversial subject of energy sources exploration.

The SAIAMC has been working for years on the viability of hydrogen as a possible carrier of energy that could be used in the generation of electricity. “We've supported the technology because it's an important conversion… and we see it as the long-tem future of electricity supply in South Africa,” said Steve Lenon, the Eskom strategy and resources MD.

Challenges facing hydrogen mass production
There is already consensus in the science world that it could work, but producing the gas on a mass scale, to power cities like Cape Town or mobile objects like cars, is another question.

“How to store… large volumes is a really big issue now. It’s a really hot area of research. Can we store it in some compressed system, can we store it underground? Some places in Europe do that…” Patrick Ndungu, a researcher at SAIAMC.

Experts say the use of hydrogen gas could help alleviate capacity problems Eskom experiences during peak usage times.

The department of science and technology is to formally launch the institute later this year.