The Director General for the Department of Higher Education and Training, Dr Sishi
Deputy Director General: Skills Branch – DHET, Mr Mvalo
The Interim Chairperson of the MQA Board and Chairpersons of the TETA and CHIETA
Members of the MQA, TETA and CHIETA Board
Executives and Staff from the TETA, MQA and CHIETA
Representatives from organised labour, from government departments, from state entities from institutions of learning and the media
Esteemed guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,
All protocol observed.
Ladies and gentlemen, the MQA is humbled to be part of this momentous event of the Soft Launch of the Green Hydrogen Centre of Specialisation.
The MQA with all other SETAs took part in the SETA Skills Summit which was jointly organised by the Chairpersons of the SETA Boards (Chairpersons’ Forum) and the Association of SETA CEOs (ASCEO) in consultation with the DHET. The Green Hydrogen Centre of Specialisation was one of the project showcased during the Summit.
The MQA has committed itself to the Inter SETA collaboration efforts to improve efficiency, effectiveness and achievement of greater impact in projects implementation. We see this Soft Launch as part of setting up of an integrated institutional delivery mechanism to ensure implementation of the Green Hydrogen CoS project. This Intersectoral partnership will not only ensure optimal skills provision to a new-era worker but ensure the necessary Green Hydrogen Economy set of key skills are available at the right time. It is in this context that the three SETAs are collaborating to establish the Green Hydrogen Economy Centre of Specialisation.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Chieta and TETA to collaborate in this project.
Chieta is the Lead SETA in this project and it has contracted the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to oversee and manage the project from business case development, inception to implementation.
The MQA is participating in the project because it is part of the Hydrogen Economy Value Chain . Our participation in the project will include but is not limited to:
- Being one of the three partners in the collaboration.
- Being part of the governance committee for the project.
- Contribute to funding for the establishment of the Hydrogen Centre of
Specialisation.
- Contribute to the DHET SETA Integrated High Impact Project.
The mining sector is already implementing green hydrogen projects including the Anglo American Green Hydrogen powered truck. Its first self-developed truck at the Mogalakwena platinum is aimed at replacing a fleet of 40 vehicles consuming each nearly a million litres of diesel a year. The 2,000-kilowat hydrogen-battery hybrid haul truck is currently the world’s largest hydrogen-powered vehicle of its kind in operation and can carry a 290-tonne payload. The trucks which are part of the company’s nuGen zero emissions haulage initiative, use power from a 140-megawatt solar plant that powers the hydrogen-producing mechanism.
The project, expected to be fully implemented by 2026, is a first step in making eight of Anglo Americas mines carbon neutral by 2030. About 80% of the company’s diesel consumption is on its haul trucks, which accounts for between 10% and 15% of its total Scope 1 emissions, those generated directly from its own activities. This makes the planned fleet overhaul an important step in the group’s pathway to carbon-neutral operations by 2040 as per the strategic plans of its chief executive Duncan Wanblad.
The nuGen trucks are equipped with fuel cells that include platinum in their components and have a specialized filtration system to limit dust and sulphur reaching the fuel cells. This will then provide the mining sector with providing alternative sources for the use of Platinum.
The emerging hydrogen sector has the potential to dramatically improve the growth and development of many economies by creating new industrial value chains and economic generation opportunities.”
The CSIR is now busy developing the Business Case and Costings for the establishment of the Centre. Once the Business case is finalised, the SETAs will agree on the contributions of each partner to the project and submissions will be made to the respective SETA Boards for approval.
Ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, the MQA is extremely positive about the prospects and impact of this project and the partnership with CHIETA and TETA. We aim to be part of this journey until its logical conclusion.
We hope that the centre will change the lives of many South Africans into the future.
I Thank YOU