Hydrogen Energy Applications
HYENA is a spin-out company from the Department of
Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town.
HYENA has developed the POWER POD as a solution to deploy fuel cell technology into Africa, where hydrogen distribution is all but non-existent. HYENA’s POWER POD is a diesel generator replacement technology that produces on-site, on-demand and reliable electricity.
HYENA’s business is hydrogen-based electric power applications, mainly as standalone systems of small to medium size. The focus lies on electric power sources comprising integrated hydrogen generators and fuel cells, to produce electricity in the range of 5 to 20 kWe.
With South Africa being the pivotal entry point for business into the African continent, Cape Town based HYENA is well-positioned to take advantage of the economic development and demand for fuel cell powered solutions.
In addition to the development of the POWER POD, HYENA has extensive experience in all aspects of hydrogen technologies.
MEET THE TEAM
MEET THE TEAM
Niels Luchters
Co-founder, Director & CEO
With a background as the Key Technology Specialist Fuel-to-Hydrogen at the University Cape Town, Niels brings experiences in project management and research. Before relocating to South Africa, he worked at Avantium B.V., a global tech start-up company based in the Netherlands.
Jack V. Fletcher
Co-founder, Director & CTO
With over 18 years’ experience in research & development relating to the energy field, JV is a strong research professional with a demonstrated history in the energy industry. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and brings experience from lab research to pilot and industrial plant operation.
Jack C.Q. Fletcher
Co-founder, Director & Board Chairperson
Jack is Professor of Chemical Engineering and the Director of the Catalysis Institute at the University Cape Town. Previously, Jack held the position of Director R&D at Süd Chemie AG (now Clariant). He is also a founding member of Cape Catalytix (Pty) Ltd.
Stephen Roberts
Co-founder & Director
Stephen is a registered professional engineer and the Industrial Research Contracts Manager at the Catalysis Institute. Previously, he was a lead researcher in catalysis development at Mintek. He is also a founding member of Cape Catalytix (Pty) Ltd.
Jens Müller
Advisory Council Chairperson
Dr Jens Müller studied chemistry at University of Technology – RWTH Aachen and received his doctorate degree based on fundamental work on fuel cells. Having built up SFC Energy AG, he is one of the pioneers of the clean-tech industry in the German-speaking world. Later in his career he led XOLUTION GmbH (innovative packaging solutions) and NCTE AG (contactless torque sensor technology) to success. For many years, Dr. Müller worked as advisor to Germany`s Federal Minister of Environmental Affairs. He was recently appointed Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town.