Master of ceremonies
Minister of Mineral Resources, Ms Susan Shabangu
Distinguished members of the business community, media and Trade Union Movement
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It's an honour for me to participate in the launch of this initiative.
Our aim is to create new industries from our mineral wealth.
This launch is, in a sense, a tribute to my predecessor, Minister Mosibudi Mangena. It's Anglo Platinum's response to his invitation to the private sector to support government’s vision to create new industries from our mineral wealth.
On the one hand, many resource based countries have developed new industries out of their mineral wealth (Chile, Finland, America, Canada, and Australia).
On the other hand, resource based countries have been unable to make the leap to new industries they have been held back by the abundance of mineral resources. Comparison is often made between resource rich but low growth countries in Africa and South America and resource poor but high growth countries in Asia.
Today the creation of new industries takes place in a new global context. It's imperative that innovative solutions be found and found quickly, for two related problems to do with energy and climate change that is, the world's shrinking supply of fossil fuels and the increasing volumes of greenhouse gas.
The current path of development is not sustainable from either a resource or environmental perspective. We have a vision of a hydrogen economy powered by renewable energy
Hydrogen is one of the keys to steering global energy use on to a sustainable path. The portability of this energy carrier gives it the potential to enhance the use of renewable energy sources, enabling decentralised power generation.
In a country where the sun shines most days of the year, hydrogen could make it possible for homes to satisfy their own needs for energy round the clock. The vision of a hydrogen economy powered by renewable energy is one, worth striving towards, in spite of significant technological barriers. The creative tension between this vision and current knowledge keeps researchers around the world chipping away at the frontiers of knowledge.
One of the perceived barriers to the hydrogen economy is the cost of platinum (platinum is the essential catalyst to convert hydrogen into energy). Hydrogen is likely to remain a necessary component of fuel cell electrodes for a number of applications and the Department of Science and Technology’s hydrogen and fuel cell technologies strategy aims to reduce the cost of platinum group metals for these technologies.
More than two thirds of the global reserves of platinum lie within South Africa's borders, continuing to sell it in its raw form will mean a continued dependence on the development of technological solutions outside the borders of our country and a further deterioration in our technology balance of payments.
If we don't step up our involvement in hydrogen fuel cell research, we will miss the opportunity to maximise its benefits for our country. Here again, we are talking about a finite resource and we therefore have to ensure its sustainable use.
My department's advanced metals initiative provides opportunities for collaboration on platinum group metals research, development and innovation.
Anglo Platinum’s initiative brings momentum to our efforts to develop and master capabilities to add value to our minerals. There is now a pipeline that will enable and inspire the translation of know how developed at our institutions of higher learning into commercial products. Their sale will not only expand our economy, but also contribute to transforming it from one that is resource-based to one which is knowledge based.
This transformation is a major objective of the Department of Science and Technology’s ten year innovation plan for South Africa and the advent of the Technology Innovation Agency raises exciting prospects of where this initiative could take our country.
A quarter of the world's markets for fuel cell technologies based on platinum group metals by 2025
The objectives of our hydrogen and fuel cell technologies strategy include capturing a quarter of the world’s markets for fuel cell technologies based on platinum group metals by 2025.
By setting ourselves a stretch target, we are creating potential that will energise the efforts of our innovators, leapfrog our capabilities to the frontiers of knowledge, and enable South Africa to claim a special place in the global knowledge economy.
There are gaps in our stock of know how in this important field of human endeavour, but we have taken this into account, allocating resources and mandating the implementing institutions to employ international experts to help lead their activities.
Anglo Platinum’s initiative will add value to our efforts, I am sure that the researchers at the hydrogen centres of competence, established as a result of our hydrogen strategy will agree. Public private partnerships such as this one make it possible for dreams to come true. Together we can indeed do more.
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
23 July 2009
