In 2007 the Department of Science and Innovation established the National Hydrogen Catalysis Competence Centre (HySA/Catalysis) which is hosted by the Catalysis Institute and operationalised as a collaboration between the Institute and researchers at South Africa's national mineral research organisation - Mintek. HySA/Catalysis is part of the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technologies Flagship project with the overall aim to transform South Africa from a resource based to a knowledge based economy, with a special focus on platinum group metals, and in doing so add high value to the country’s mineral wealth.
For more information contact Dr Darija Susac.
CARE-O-SENE (Catalyst Research for Sustainable Kerosene) is a German-South African research project for the new and further development of catalysts in the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process. These FT catalysts play a key role in the large-scale production of green kerosene. With the help of optimized catalysts, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) can be produced more efficiently. Unlike conventional fossil fuels, these SAFs are based on green hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Their use can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in industries such as aviation, where fossil fuels are difficult to replace.
The project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and SASOL, connecting seven German and South African project partners contributing their expertise in catalyst research and technology development. Together, we are working toward the goal of paving the way for the production of green kerosene on an industrial scale.
For more information contact Prof Michael Claeys.
An overwhelming majority of households in many developing countries, particularly in Africa, do not yet have access to modern, clean affordable, and accepted fuels. These households typically rely on polluting fuels such as biomass (e.g., firewood, charcoal) and coal for cooking, heating, and lighting, which negatively impacts health, livelihoods, and the climate. Switching to clean and affordable fuels can therefore have social and environmental impacts that have the potential to reduce all of these risks, especially for women, while providing a range of economic opportunities for businesses and communities. The GreenQUEST project aims to develop a viable, sustainable green fuel product (Green LFG), a chemical equivalent to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), by combining technological process development with a holistic assessment of the technical, economic, environmental, and social dimensions along the entire Green LFG value chain. Green LFG is not only a potential cleaner fuel for households but also a sustainable alternative to the fossil based LPG utilised across various industrial sectors.
For more information contact Prof Jack Fletcher.
CoalCO2-X
Researchers in the Institute are leading an initiative within the National Research Flagship Project of the Department of Science and Innovation CoalCO2-X. Within the project, and in collaboration with the private sector and scientists at the North West University, technologies for the capture of carbon dioxide from industrial off gas point sources and CO2 utilisation are studied and demonstrated. In the Catalysis Institute technologies are developed to produce synthetic liquid hydrocarbon fuels through a multistep catalytic process starting from the captured greenhouse gas and green hydrogen. The technology initially targets small scale decentralised plants. This boundary condition results in harsh reaction parameters that require a complete redesign of the catalysts and process configurations to ensure stability and productivity at minimised complexity.
For more information contact: Prof Michael Claeys and Prof Nico Fischer