Best Oral Presentation

Mufudzi Chaza, a PhD candidate of the Catalysis Institute in the Department of Chemical Engineering, was honoured as one of the recipients of the Chemical Science Best Oral Presentation awards during the 13th edition of the Natural Gas Conversion Symposium (NGCS13). This prestigious event took place from the 21 to 25t April in Xiamen, China. Amidst a total of 180 oral presentations, receiving this award holds profound significance, underscoring the exceptional quality and pertinence of the research showcased in Mufudzi’s presentation at NGCS13.

NGCS13 drew in more than 800 participants from 29 countries in diverse fields of catalysis, in industry and academia, all united by a shared objective of progressing "Towards Carbon Neutrality." This focal point resonated deeply with the research Mufudzi undertook and presented, which is within South Africa's CoalCO2-to-X initiative funded by the Department of Science and Innovation. This initiative shares the overarching aim of achieving carbon neutrality through Power-to-Liquids technology. Specifically, it involves harnessing carbon dioxide emissions from effluent streams in coal plants to produce valuable commodities, such as diesel, using catalysts developed in the Catalysis Institute laboratories. Mufudzi is under the supervision of Professor Michael Claeys and Dr. Thulani Nyathi.