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Platinum-linked venture capital provider highlights hydrogen's 'irreplaceable' decarb role Mining Weekly Audio Articles
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The role of hydrogen in the decarbonisation of the hardest-to-abate sectors of the global economy continues to be described as "irreplaceable" by AP Ventures, the independent venture capital fund that is focused on investing in early-stage companies that use or enable the use of platinum group metals (PGMs).
"We remain very excited about the hydrogen sector," was the comment of AP Ventures co-founding partner Kevin Eggers in a Zoom interview with Mining Weekly. (also watch attached Creamer Media video.)
"It's an existing market today. There's a tremendous amount of grey hydrogen that is produced on the market, and we ultimately, at a minimum, need to decarbonise that hydrogen production," said Eggers.
"Today, that hydrogen production is used in oil refineries, and some other emerging applications.
"In the future, it's going to be used in aviation fuels, steel production, transportation and other verticals.
"Based on what I see today, we have a very robust pipeline. We continue to see a lot of interesting technologies, and a lot of countries remain committed to the original hydrogen strategies and agendas.
"That said, we can't hide away from the fact that the last year has been a little bit more challenging for the transition.
"Interest rates have been higher. There's general concern around politics and there's multiple wars in the Middle East and Europe.
"All that has provided a little sense of caution. If I look back to two or three years ago, we're certainly in a slightly more cautious perspective. That's not a bad thing.
"We want to see sensible investment investments made. We want to scale the most interesting and relevant technology.
"We don't want to see the wrong technologies get funded. To the extent that that's causing people to be a bit more thoughtful and mindful about what gets funded, I'm all for that," added Eggers.
SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANIES INCUBATED
Meanwhile, in South Africa, AP Ventures has incubated two entities, which the venture capital company is using as a tool to develop new projects and opportunities in South Africa. The two entities are MatiTech, a water technology startup, and African Hydrogen Ventures.
"We're seeking co-investors into both those entities and we want to have a meaningful impact on the development of the hydrogen economy in South Africa.
"We're very grateful for the support we've received from Anglo American, Impala Platinum and the Public Investment Corporation, three very supportive LPs, who share the strategic ambition of ours to develop hydrogen projects and opportunities globally in terms of the meaningful impact that should have and will have on PGMs but also domestically in terms of the opportunity within South Africa, which has abundant wind and solar renewable energy resources.
"The production of green hydrogen relies on electrons from those renewable sources. That provides us with an interesting starting framework, and then we've got expertise in South Africa so we do continue to think that from our mining and extractive industries, companies such as Sasol et cetera, there's lots of existing infrastructure and expertise to leverage, and we're seeking to do most of that investment through MatiTech and African Hydrogen Ventures," said Eggers.
Mining Weekly can report that MatiTech is leveraging the technology of one of AP Ventures' existing Danish portfolio companies, which has developed technology to synthesise hydrogen peroxide in a continuous form and in low concentration, which enables its use in the elevation of water to potable status.
"It removes waterborne pathogens to enable safe drinking water for communities, schools, and the like. What we did is we incubated a business about three years ago. We had to find a team to lead that including various board members and a CEO, which we've done, and the company has made great strides.
"Their most significant installation is a project on an oper
This audio is brought to you by Wearcheck, your condition monitoring specialist.
The role of hydrogen in the decarbonisation of the hardest-to-abate sectors of the global economy continues to be described as "irreplaceable" by AP Ventures, the independent venture capital fund that is focused on investing in early-stage companies that use or enable the use of platinum group metals (PGMs).
"We remain very excited about the hydrogen sector," was the comment of AP Ventures co-founding partner Kevin Eggers in a Zoom interview with Mining Weekly. (also watch attached Creamer Media video.)
"It's an existing market today. There's a tremendous amount of grey hydrogen that is produced on the market, and we ultimately, at a minimum, need to decarbonise that hydrogen production," said Eggers.
"Today, that hydrogen production is used in oil refineries, and some other emerging applications.
"In the future, it's going to be used in aviation fuels, steel production, transportation and other verticals.
"Based on what I see today, we have a very robust pipeline. We continue to see a lot of interesting technologies, and a lot of countries remain committed to the original hydrogen strategies and agendas.
"That said, we can't hide away from the fact that the last year has been a little bit more challenging for the transition.
"Interest rates have been higher. There's general concern around politics and there's multiple wars in the Middle East and Europe.
"All that has provided a little sense of caution. If I look back to two or three years ago, we're certainly in a slightly more cautious perspective. That's not a bad thing.
"We want to see sensible investment investments made. We want to scale the most interesting and relevant technology.
"We don't want to see the wrong technologies get funded. To the extent that that's causing people to be a bit more thoughtful and mindful about what gets funded, I'm all for that," added Eggers.
SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANIES INCUBATED
Meanwhile, in South Africa, AP Ventures has incubated two entities, which the venture capital company is using as a tool to develop new projects and opportunities in South Africa. The two entities are MatiTech, a water technology startup, and African Hydrogen Ventures.
"We're seeking co-investors into both those entities and we want to have a meaningful impact on the development of the hydrogen economy in South Africa.
"We're very grateful for the support we've received from Anglo American, Impala Platinum and the Public Investment Corporation, three very supportive LPs, who share the strategic ambition of ours to develop hydrogen projects and opportunities globally in terms of the meaningful impact that should have and will have on PGMs but also domestically in terms of the opportunity within South Africa, which has abundant wind and solar renewable energy resources.
"The production of green hydrogen relies on electrons from those renewable sources. That provides us with an interesting starting framework, and then we've got expertise in South Africa so we do continue to think that from our mining and extractive industries, companies such as Sasol et cetera, there's lots of existing infrastructure and expertise to leverage, and we're seeking to do most of that investment through MatiTech and African Hydrogen Ventures," said Eggers.
Mining Weekly can report that MatiTech is leveraging the technology of one of AP Ventures' existing Danish portfolio companies, which has developed technology to synthesise hydrogen peroxide in a continuous form and in low concentration, which enables its use in the elevation of water to potable status.
"It removes waterborne pathogens to enable safe drinking water for communities, schools, and the like. What we did is we incubated a business about three years ago. We had to find a team to lead that including various board members and a CEO, which we've done, and the company has made great strides.
"Their most significant installation is a project on an oper
7 min