Sasol, intergrated energy and chemical company has announced that it will be donating 10 000 litres of methanol and 600 kg of hydrogen every month until the end of April 2021 to help power the field ICU facility of 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.
According to the company, it is also working with its customers, Air Products and Protea Chemicals, to assist with logistics for supplying the fuels to 1 Military hospital.
The company made this promise following the unveiling of five methanol fuel cell systems and two hydrogen fuel cell systems, which will be used at Pretoria’s 1 Military Hospital as a primary source of power for the field hospital facilities established as part of Government’s response to COVID-19.
The project was a partnership between the DSI, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the Department of Defence, and private sector companies.
In addition to it being part of government’s COVID-19 response, it is also integral to government’s vision to integrate hydrogen within the economy, motivated by the benefits that will accrue as a result, which include decarbonising the economy.
“This is an important initiative for Sasol for many reasons,” Charlotte Mokoena, Executive Vice President for Human Resources and Corporate Affairs at Sasol said in a press release.
“In addition to the fact that this contribution espouses who we are as Sasol and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to supporting and collaborating with government in executing innovative solutions to current challenges, it also illustrates the direction Sasol is taking. We are deliberately pursuing renewable energy sources through technology, innovation and collaboration, and sustainably produced hydrogen is integral to us reducing our carbon footprint across our operations.”
Sasol pledged its commitment to continue working with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in the process towards the development of a South African Hydrogen Roadmap.
“We see public-private and private-private partnerships as critical in decarbonising South Africa’s energy landscape, whilst fulfilling socio-economic and sustainable development goals,” Mokoena said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com