Hydrogen fuel cell system launched in N West

Minister of Science and Technology Mamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane on Friday launched a R10 million hydrogen fuel cell system in the North West.

The system will provide renewable energy to a school at the Goedgevonden rural village. It is also meant to demonstrate to learners that science can be used to solve socio-economic challenges.

It is the first of its kind in the SADC region and Poelano High School is the first beneficiary.

For years, the school has been struggling to pay its Eskom bill. However, better days are here.

“This provides a solution for the community and for the school to be able to have an environment to provide quality education without the teachers and the principal worrying about how they are going to pay the bills. Now they can have an opportunity to focus on what they have to do which is teaching and learning, for the children,” says Kubayi.

“It uses solar panels that convert energy from the sun into electrical energy, that electrical energy is used to produce hydrogen from water and the hydrogen is used in a fuel cell where it reacts with platinum to produce electrical energy and the only other by-product that comes from the reaction is water,” says Director of Hydrogen and Energy Dr Cosmas Chiteme.