The HySA Systems Integration & Technology Validation Competence Centre, HySA Systems, hosted by the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and located at the South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC), and directed by Sivakumar Pasupathi , is one of three national Competence Centres that were initiated by the Department of Science and Technology’s National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies (HFCT) Flagship Project, also known as Hydrogen South Africa or HySA. 

This long-term (15-year) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies (HFCT) Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) strategy was officially launched in September 2008 by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in South Africa.  The overall vision of the HFCT RDI strategy is to bring about wealth, job and IPR creation through the initiation of new high technology industries based on minerals found on South African soil, especially Platinum Group Metals (PGMs).

HySA Systems, a Systems Integration and Technology Validation Competence Centre on HFCT was established in 2007 at the SAIAMC at the University of the Western Cape.  The main objective with HySA Systems is to (i) develop HFC systems and prototypes, (ii) perform technology validation and system integration in three key HySA programmes: (1) Combined Heat and Power (CHP), (2) Portable systems and (3) Hydrogen Fuelled Vehicles (HFV).  HySA Systems is also responsible for the development, prototyping, testing, validating and commissioning of the following key technologies: Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) for High Temperature (HT) (≥120 oC) Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells, HT-PEM fuel cell stacks, metal hydrides for hydrogen storage and compression, Li-ion batteries and system integration of Energy Storage Devices for domestic and automotive applications.

HySA Systems is an industry, technology and prototype development oriented Competence Centre, which has demonstrated on many occasions its ability to develop, build, commission and validate Energy systems.