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44 ¦ MechChem Africa • January 2017
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ToyotaAustraliahasunveiledamobile
hydrogen refueller that will enable
its three Mirai fuel-cell sedans to
go anywhere that a conventional
car can be driven. This breakthrough, which
has been developed by the company’s local
engineers and partner suppliers, represents
a clever temporary solution to counter the
current lack of a refuelling infrastructure in
Australia for fuel-cell cars.
TheMirai itself represents a turning point
in the automotive industry, introducing a new
agewhere electricity is generatedondemand
using hydrogen as a fuel. Mirai – its name is
Japanese for ‘future’ – is designed to diminish
the world’s dependence on oil and reduce
harmto theenvironment. Named2016World
Green Car, Toyota’s Mirai is a remarkable
zero-emissions car with all the convenience
of today’s conventional vehicles.
ToyotaAustralia’s fuel-cell project sponsor
and senior executive adviser to the board,
Bernie O’Connor, believes the mobile refuel-
ler will be instrumental in demonstrating the
significant benefits of owning a Mirai. As an
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ACI’s 8th Carbon Dioxide Utilisation
Summit
22-23 February 2017
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Rohan Baryah
+48 616 467 022
7th Annual Africa New Energy Conference
& Expo
Including: CSP Today, Wind Energy Update
and PV Insider
7-8 March, 2017, Cape Town
AdamMinkley
New Energy Update
+44 20 7375 7239
Middle East Rail 2017
7-8 March, 2017
Dubai International Convention and
Exhibition Centre, Dubai
Prima Castelino
+971 4 440 2535 African Energy Indaba, 2017
The African Energy Indaba 2017 Conference and Exhibition will be held at the Sandton
Convention Centre on February 21 and 22, 2017.
“The Africa Energy Indaba provides the process for you tomeet with others who share
your dream of a thriving Africa; a continent where all its citizens prosper; a continent we
are proud to call home,” says conference chairman, Brian Stratham. “I invite you to step
forward; share your knowledge and expertise and open your mind to receive the wisdom
and experience of others,” he adds.
The Indabawill alsohost the SE4ALL (sustainable energy for all)member countries that
will be showcasing their high priority renewable energy project opportunities, identified
at country level as the high priority projects.
African SE4ALL countries will be present to showcase their Investment Prospectus
and potential investors will have the opportunity to carefully examine each project, enter
into one-to-one discussions with the project owners and conclude specific deals with the
project owners.
This initiative is being facilitated by the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency.
Mobile refueller for Mirai fuel-cell fleet
Toyota Australia’s mobile hydrogen refueller incor-
porates a generator and a compressor mounted in a
purpose-built trailer attached to a Hino 700-series
truck.
Index to advertisers
Industry diary
interim measure, Toyota’s mobile refueller
incorporates a generator and a compressor
mounted in a purpose-built trailer attached
to a Hino 700-series truck.
Hydrogen, delivered to the refueller in
bottles, is cooled and pressurised to the re-
quired70MPa(700bar)beforebeingpumped
into the threeMirai sedans. The refueller can
alsobeused todeliver hydrogen toother fuel-
cell vehicles, such as buses and forklifts, as
well as being capable of transporting a Mirai
vehicle itself.
“Thedecision to invest inamobile refueller
demonstrates Toyota’s commitment tomain-
taining its leading role in developing flexible
and personal mobility solutions for the next
100 years. This is a practical and necessary
measure to enable people to learn about and
experience first-hand, the game-changing
Mirai and its ground-breaking technology,”
says O’Connor.
O’Connor added that Toyotawill continue
toworkwithgovernments, industryandother
key stakeholders to fast-track the develop-
ment of the refuelling infrastructure required
to support thewidespread saleof fuel-
cell vehicles.
Mirai offers a driving range of ap-
proximately 550 kmwhen its two on-
board tanks arefilledwithabout 5.0kg
of compressed hydrogen. Refuelling
froma commercial site takes just three
to fiveminutes – and the only exhaust
gas emission is water vapour.
Hydrogen is as safeas anyother au-
tomotive fuel and, unlike fossil fuels, it
does not contribute to global warming
during vehicle operation. It is themost
abundant element in the universe and
canbeproduced fromalmost anything
–including sewage sludge – by using
primaryenergy sources suchas pollution-free
solar and wind power.
Mirai is also fun todrive, deliveringpunchy
performance while offering the convenience
and driving pleasure of a conventional car. It
produces maximum power of above 110 kW
from its fuel-cell stack through the electric
motor.
Mirai utilises the same hybrid technology
developed for Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive
systems, replacing the petrol engine with a
fuel-cell stack. TheMirai is available in Japan,
Europe and the United States and there are
currently no plans to introduce it in South
Africa. There are also no plans to offer the
car in Australia ahead of the development
of an appropriate hydrogen-refuelling infra-
structure. q