Impala Platinum is one of the world’s foremost producers of platinum and associated platinum group metals (PGMs). The group produces just under a quarter of the world’s supply of primary platinum. Impala Platinum is structured around five main operations including Impala, Zimplats, Marula, Mimosa and Two Rivers, with headquarters in Johannesburg. The Group’s operations are also located on the Bushveld Complex in South Africa and the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe, the two most significant PGM bearing ore bodies in the world.

Our Refineries are based in Springs and currently employs around 1000 permanent staff. We have a Base Metal and Precious Metals Refinery as well as an established R&D department. The Industry offers real time experience on various processes and in particular on hand experience on a fuel cell forklift and hydrogen refuelling station:

• Fuel cell supplies the base load power
• Combined with a battery to allow for operation at peak power loading
• On-board metal hydride containers store the hydrogen at lower pressures
• Installed hydrogen supply pipeline
• Hydrogen is compressed
• Compressor is thermally driven and consumes steam and cooling water instead of electric power
• Higher pressure hydrogen is stored in a cylinder pack
• Launched March 2016
• Operational for a year and a half
• First service on forklift, fuel cell and refuelling station
• Prototype proof of concept
• Need to industrialise the unit for commercialisation –importance of demonstration projects

Industrial customer of the project outputs. Will monitor the operation of prototype units in real working environment. Within available budget for the implementation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, Impala Platinum will order, according customised specification, a trial series of the utility vehicles developed within this project for their use in core operations of the company.

Fahmida Smith