CARE-O-SENE at CATSA 2024: Advancing Catalysis for Cleaner Skies

CARE-O-SENE at CATSA 2024: Advancing Catalysis for Cleaner Skies

 

In November 2024, members of the CARE-O-SENE team had the privilege of attending the Catalysis Society of South Africa (CATSA) 2024 conference, held in the picturesque Central Drakensberg. The conference, themed “Advancing Innovative Catalysis,” brought together international and local leaders from academia, industry, and government laboratories to discuss the latest developments in catalysis, energy conversion, and sustainable chemical processes.

A highlight of the event was the plenary lecture by Prof. Ben Feringa, 2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and this year’s distinguished visitor, whose groundbreaking research in molecular nanotechnology and homogenous catalysis is an inspiration to the field. CARE-O-SENE was well represented by several young researchers.

CARE-O-SENE Highlights at CATSA 2024:

  • Dr. Randy Cunningham (Scientistintraining, Sasol Research and Technology, Fischer-Tropsch Group) gave a presentation on the programme’s key achievements, entitled “CARE-O-SENE: Catalysing Collaboration for Cleaner Skies”, emphasising the importance of partnership to advance technology.
  • Dr. Revana Chanerika and PhD student Shabaaz Abdullah (University of Cape Town) presented their exciting work on model catalysts, aiming to deepen the understanding of technical catalysts in real-world applications.

Additionally, Prof. Eric van Steen, a primary investigator of CARE-O-SENE, chaired one of the conference’s sessions and provided valuable guidance and insight to the discussions. Dr. Timothy Underwood also attended and presented a poster on some of his work outside of CARE-O-SENE, showcasing the analytical capabilities of the University of Cape Town (UCT), which are available to the consortium.

The event provided an excellent platform for networking, knowledge sharing and highlighting the vital contributions of young scientists in the CARE-O-SENE programme. Through collaboration and innovative research, CARE-O-SENE is making significant progress in advancing catalysis for a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports CARE-O-SENE project until end of 2026

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports CARE-O-SENE project until end of 2026

 

Hamburg/Berlin, 12 November 2024 – The German-South African CARE-O-SENE consortium, which is developing efficient catalysts for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) basis, has received an extension of its funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) until the end of 2026.

Dr Dirk Schär, co-project manager and Lead Technical Sales Catalyst at Sasol, explains: 'Thanks to the extension from the BMBF, we can intensify our research into regeneration of catalysts. This is an important step for the long-term economic viability and sustainability of the PtL process.’

Research focus: long-lasting catalysts, integrated demonstration and new technologies

In the new CARE-O-SENE project phase, the team focuses on further optimising developed Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalysts and increasing their lifespan. This means that the catalysts will need to be replaced less often, the materials they contain can be used more effectively and the FT process will become more sustainable and economical.

Although catalysts are not consumed by definition, in practice they tend to degrade and thus lose activity over time and become less effective. The CARE-O-SENE project is therefore working intensively to improve the ways these catalysts can be restored, increasing their lifespan and, hence, materials circularity. The project team has already reached the most important milestone: the development of a efficient catalyst with a kerosene yield of over 80 per cent.

The recently developed FT catalyst will also be used in a new integrated system that has been developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) which will be able to utilise renewable electricity and sustainable feedstocks into FT synthetic crude product that can be upgraded to SAF. This will not only allow for the demonstration of the entire value chain, but also studies into the impacts of varying feedstock and the fluctuation in renewable power availability on the process.

Another focus of the current project phase is further research into thin-film catalysts. ‘This technology will enable a new generation of Fischer-Tropsch reactors and thus further improve the flexibility of sustainable aviation fuel production,’ explains Dr. Tobias Sontheimer, co-leader of the project and Head of the Strategy Department for Energy and Information at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB).

Achieving the goal through global partnerships

At the CARE-O-SENE 'Innovate to Elevate' event on 15 October, Kerstin Annassi, Head of Department Energy Systems at Projektträger Jülich, handed over the funding extension on behalf of the BMBF at the HZB premises in Berlin. She emphasised the importance of international cooperation and close collaboration between research and industry: ‘Only by pooling expertise and resources – across national borders and between research institutes and industry – can we make the progress that is so urgently needed to accelerate the transformation of the aviation industry.’ More information about the event and the full recording can be found here.

The consortium, consisting of the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), INERATEC, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Sasol, can thus continue to make an important contribution to the decarbonisation of aviation.

 

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Press contact:

Torsten Titze, Communications Manager, Sasol
Mobil: +49 173 66 800 90
Torsten.Titze@de.sasol.com

Kerstin Annassi (m.) presents Dr. Dirk Schär (l.) and Dr. Tobias Sontheimer (r.) with the funding extension for CARE-O-SENE on behalf of the BMBF

A catalyst for change: CARE-O-SENE event on decarbonising aviation attracts global attention

A catalyst for change: CARE-O-SENE event on decarbonising aviation attracts global attention

 

What is the future of flying? What innovations are there in the field of clean aviation technology? These and many other questions were discussed on 15 October 2024 at the CARE-O-SENE event "Innovate to Elevate: A Global Collaboration for Decarbonising Aviation". With nearly 200 participants both onsite at the Helmholtz Zentrum in Berlin and online, the hybrid format highlighted the growing global commitment to cleaner skies.

Game-changer sustainable aviation fuel

The event kicked off with virtual opening remarks from Till Mansmann, Innovation Commissioner for Green Hydrogen at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

A dive into CARE-O-SENE's advances in SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) catalyst research was presented by Denzil Moodley, CARE-O-SENE Key Researcher and Senior Scientist Fischer Tropsch at Sasol. One of his key messages emphasised the need to break down barriers – geographical and institutional – to accelerate innovations that can make SAF not only viable, but scalable and cost effective.

SAF plays a critical role in the decarbonisation strategy of DHL, one of the world's leading logistics providers, which was outlined by Volker Ratzmann, EVP of Corporate Public Policy & Regulation Management at DHL. He also pointed out a crucial hurdle: The regulatory uncertainty of producing SAF at scale, a challenge that needs to be addressed to accelerate the industry's green transformation.

Dynamic panel discussion: navigating challenges together

The highlight of the event was a panel discussion with experts from industry and research institutions. The panel explored how global collaboration can help overcome the biggest barriers to SAF adoption, especially in its early stages. Key voices included Kerstin Annassi of Forschungszentrum Jülich, Michael Claeys of the University of Cape Town, Silke Hoppe of Sasol International Chemicals and Catalina Jimenez, – Group Leader, Energy Materials In-Situ Laboratory (EMIL), HZB. The panel agreed that international partnerships, strong government support and collaborative research are critical to decarbonising aviation. But without targeted funding and regulatory support, these advances may struggle to take off. Missed the event? You can catch the full recording here and learn how collaboration between the right partner is shaping the future of flight.

CARE-O-SENE achieves milestone in the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuels



CARE-O-SENE achieves milestone in the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuels

Researchers in the CARE-O-SENE project prove that a yield of over 80% for sustainable kerosene is achievable.

Hamburg/Berlin, 1.10.2024 – Intensive testing in the CARE-O-SENE project confirms that the new CARE-O-SENE catalysts can achieve kerosene yields in excess of 80%. This significantly improves the economic viability of power-to-liquid (PtL) processes and accelerates the commercialisation of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

This is a significant progress in the development of more efficient catalysts for the Fischer-Tropsch process, a central step in PtL processes for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The German-South African CARE-O-SENE consortium, which includes the Fraunhofer Institute (IKTS), the Helmholtz Centre Berlin (HZB), INERATEC, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), University of Cape Town (UCT) and Sasol, is making an important contribution to the goal of decarbonising aviation with this success.

Using the established Fischer-Tropsch process, green hydrogen and carbon dioxide can be converted into synthetic fuels. The catalysts developed in the CARE-O-SENE project increase the efficiency of the overall process, so that fuel production can be significantly increased while using the same resources.

The positive results from the project team's internal tests in a special laboratory in South Africa have now been confirmed by external experts from the Danish company Topsoe: ‘At our pilot plant in Denmark we have tested several product samples that Sasol produced for the CARE-O-SENE project in its semi-commercial plant in South Africa. We were able to increase the yield in kerosene production to over 80 percent,’ explains Sandra Winter-Madsen, Product Line Director from Topsoe.

‘We are pleased that we have been able to confirm the 80% yield target of the CARE-O-SENE project,’ says Tobias Sontheimer, co-project manager and head of the Strategy Department for Energy and Information at HZB. ’This is another important milestone on the road to the production of SAF suitable for mass production.’

The next step is now a scientifically sound life cycle analysis (LCA): ‘The product processing data is a crucial building block for the ongoing LCA, which we intend to use, among other things, to better quantify the positive impact of the new catalysts on the viability of PtL projects,’ explains Toine Cents, work package leader in the CARE-O-SENE project and Senior Manager Engineering Research at Sasol. ‘We expect the results of the LCA at the end of 2024.’

Further details on the current state of research in the CARE-O-SENE project and insights into how international collaboration can help to meet the challenge of decarbonising aviation can be found in the webinar: Innovate to Elevate: A CARE-O-SENE Event on International Collaboration to Decarbonise Aviation. Further information can be found at this Link.

*Technical term for the effectiveness of multi-stage chemical processes

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Press contact:
Torsten Titze, Communications Manager Advanced Materials, Sasol
Mobile telephone: +49 173 66 800 90
Torsten.Titze@de.sasol.com

CARE-O-SENE initiative introduced during Chilean President's visit to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin



CARE-O-SENE initiative introduced during Chilean
President's visit to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

At the beginning of June, the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, visited the Helmholtz Centre Berlin (HZB). He was accompanied by an official delegation of 50 members, including representatives from national authorities, parliamentarians, business leaders, scientists and researchers. Among the delegation were the Chilean Minister of Science and four other ministers from various sectors.

During the visit, discussions focused on the development of innovative catalytic materials crucial for achieving a climate-neutral industry. HZB is collaborating with Sasol on an international research project called CARE-O-SENE (Catalyst Research for Sustainable Kerosene). The project aims to develop new Fischer-Tropsch catalysts to optimise the production of sustainable kerosene on an industrial scale. The Helmholtz Centre Berlin (HZB) plays a significant role in this initiative.

Chile and Germany currently co-chair the Climate Club, an alliance of 38 countries working together to address climate change.

The Chilean delegation at HZB at the Synchrotron BESSY II Bridge.
President of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font and his delegation are getting introduced by the COS project Team during their visit to the HZB.
Juan José Gana Errazuriz – Chief Science Officer of HIF Global and part of the delegation, discusses details of the CARE-O-SENE project by Dr. Tobias Sontheimer, co-lead of the COS project.

Young Sasol Scientist's Trip to Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) Supported by CARE-O-SENE Mentorship Program


Young Sasol Scientist's Trip to Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB)
Supported by CARE-O-SENE Mentorship Program)

Dr Jerry Lamola, a rising Scientist-in-Training (SIT) at Sasol in Sasolburg, embarked on a remarkable journey to Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) for just over a week in June. This opportunity was facilitated by his mentor, Dr Tobias Sontheimer, who co-leads the CARE-O-SENE program. The trip was organized and mostly sponsored through the CARE-O-SENE mentorship program, established just last year.

“This trip proved incredibly fruitful, enhancing both technical prowess and soft skills development for Jerry”, says Dr Denzil Moodley, Senior Scientist at Sasol. “He gained valuable insights into the HZB structure, discussing with experts on key areas like research strategy, funding proposals, staying abreast of current research trends, and evaluating technology readiness levels. Additionally, Jerry participated in technical discussions with investigators involved in the CARE-O-SENE project.”

During his stay, Jerry visited one of the world’s largest and most in-demand synchrotron facilities, BESSY II, and had the opportunity to take part in night-shift experiments performed on some of the catalyst systems in the CARE-O-SENE program, under the guidance of WP 1 leader, Dr Catalina Jimenez.

He contributed to the “Long Night of the Sciences” which is a popular science exhibition for the general Berlin community, where the two South African-German projects GreenQuest and CARE-O-SENE were showcased.

The visit wasn’t just focused on CARE-O-SENE but gave Jerry a wider exposure to the HZB facilities. A visit to the HZB Wannsee campus allowed him a tour of multiple labs and provided him with a high-level overview of their techniques and other types of research which included water-splitting, electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and fundamental understanding of electrons.

Reflecting on his experience, Jerry said:

"The trip was exceptionally well-rounded and full of many incredible experiences. I’m grateful to Tobias and CARE-O-SENE for the opportunity, as well as all the HZB colleagues who welcomed me so warmly. The biggest highlight is seeing how the power of fundamental science is used to address societal and industrial challenges, as evidenced by the impact of the CARE-O-SENE and GreenQuest projects."

Apart from his scientific pursuits, in his free time Jerry enjoyed the German summer, exploring some Berlin's cultural offerings and soaking in the excitement and atmosphere of the Euro 2024 football championship which was hosted in Germany. This visit highlights the benefits of the CARE-O-SENE mentorship program, especially in terms of talent development, scientific exchange and exposure of young scientists to world class research facilities.

From left: Dr Avela Kunene and Dr Jerry Lamola, a fellow South African CARE-O-SENE team member working at HZB, during the “Long Night of the Sciences” science exhibition
From left: Dr. Catalina Jimenez (WP 1 leader CARE-O-SENE) with Dr. Jerry Lamola enjoying his first ever visit to a synchrotron facility (Bessy II)
From left: Dr. Jerry Lamola with Dr. Athanasios Skaltsogiannis, with the in-situ Fischer Tropsch reactor developed at HZB for the CARE-O-SENE project, in the background.

CARE-O-SENE takes stage at Zeit für Klima

The pressing question of whether sustainable aviation is achievable took center stage at the recentZeit für Klimaevent under the motto "Aviation and Climate Neutrality: Can We Fly Sustainably?” in Frankfurt.

The event brought together experts from various fields to discuss innovative solutions for a greener future. Among the notable contributors was Dr. Tobias Sontheimer, co-lead of the #CAREOSENE consortium, who shared his insights on the path towards climate-neutral aviation.

During the panel discussion titled “Innovative Technologies and Quick Wins on the Way to Climate-Neutral Aviation,” Dr Tobias Sontheimer delved into the role of innovative catalyst technologies in the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). He explained how these catalysts are crucial in minimizing resource consumption during fuel production. “The existing fleet of aircraft will need to be supplied with fuel for several more decades,” Sontheimer noted, emphasizing the need for efficient and sustainable fuel solutions. “At the same time, the blending rates of SAF will change significantly over the next few years, necessitating advancements in fuel technology.”

The panelists highlighted the key role of SAF for decarbonizing the aviation sector and stressed the importance of international projects such as CARE-O-SENE to accelerate innovation cycles and the speed up commercialization. It was common sense between all panelists to achieve or even exceed these SAF blending mandates. “To achieve this”, stated Tobias Sontheimer, “we do not have the time to allow ourselves development cycles of 10 to 15 years. We have to scale the production of SAF short-term”, which the CARE-O-SENE project is aiming for.

The event was also a great networking opportunity, which allowed, Dr Dirk Schär, the other co-lead, to highlight the mission of CARE-O-SENE, that aims to contribute to making sustainable flying more cost-effective. The consortium’s research and innovations in catalyst technology are poised to play a pivotal role in the energy transition within the aviation sector. By enhancing the efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of SAF production, CARE-O-SENE is setting the stage for a future where flying can be both eco-friendly and economically viable.

The discussion at “Zeit für Klima” underscored the urgency and feasibility of transitioning to sustainable aviation practices.

Unlocking the Future of Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Insights from Dr Dirk Schaer on FT Technology, New Catalysts, and Geothermal Energy

After his recent presentation at the 5th Iceland Geothermal Conference (IGC2024), Dr Dirk Schaer, Technical Manager of Marketing and Sales Catalysts at Sasol Germany and co-lead of the CARE-O-SENE project, took time to answer three questions. He explained why the combination of Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology and geothermal energy is ideal for the economically efficient production of sustainable aviation fuel, especially when the new catalysts developed by the German-South African CARE-O-SENE project are used:

What are the primary advantages that FT technology delivers in SAF production?

Fischer-Tropsch technology stands out in SAF production due to several key advantages over alternatives:

First, FT is commercially proven and a widely used technology.

Secondly, it’s feedstock agnostic. FT technology is remarkably versatile, capable of utilizing various feedstocks efficiently.

Thirdly, it produces the highest kerosene yields, which ensures optimal utilization of limited renewable resources and has the highest GHG elimination potential.

Finally, the FT-derived route to jet fuel is already ASTM approved and Sasol have many years’ of experience in production, marketing and working with aviation authorities.

Why is it important to develop new catalysts for SAF production?

Today, we face two primary obstacles to producing SAF at scale. SAF requires a substantial amount of energy to manufacture, and more efficient FT catalysts can help us reduce those requirements – making SAF both less expensive and more sustainable.

We also need to decrease the dependence on precious metals and cobalt in the production process, and advanced catalysts can help here, too. Mitigating the need for these elements will help address concerns related to resource scarcity and cost fluctuations.

Why is the combination of FT and geothermal energy sources so beneficial?

The integration of FT technology with geothermal energy sources offers compelling advantages.

Chemical processes, including the FT process, often face challenges with dynamic operations, necessitating intermediate storage. Geothermal energy – by the way also hydropower – provides a stable energy source, circumventing these operational hurdles.

This results in significant lower investment costs and further to this reduced operational stress, positively influencing the catalyst lifetime, contributing to the overall sustainability and viability of SAF production.

CARE-O-SENE at the 13th Natural Gas Conversion Symposium in China

CARE-O-SENE at the 13th Natural Gas Conversion Symposium in China

CARE-O-SENE in China: At the end of April, CARE-O-SENE members attended the 13th Natural Gas Conversion Symposium (NGCS13) in Xiamen, China along with 800 other scientists. Under the theme "Towards Carbon Neutrality", the symposium shared insights on science, materials and technology related to natural gas, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, in line with advanced catalyst preparation, characterisation, modelling, data analysis approaches and industrial applications in over 180 talks.

Cherie Hsu presented "Preparation of model catalyst systems to optimise sustainable aviation fuel production via Fischer-Tropsch" and won the "Best Oral Presentation Award" among 10 presenters – congratulations!

Dr Dan Zhao presented "Tracking the metal-support interaction of size-selected Co3O4 nanoparticles as model catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis by in-situ XAS".

CARE-O-SENE's Denzil Moodley is part of the Board of the Natural Gas Conversion Symposium and Michael Claeys has been re-elected as Secretary of the Natural Gas Conversion Board.

Cherie Hsu, PhD Student at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (IKFT)
Felix Studt, Professor at Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Michael Claeys, Professor at the Catalysis Institute at University of Cape Town (UCT)
Dan Zhao, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (IKFT)
Cherie Hsu, PhD Student at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (IKFT)

CARE-O-SENE Research Consortium meets in South Africa for Mid-Term Conference

CARE-O-SENE Research Consortium meets in South Africa for Mid-Term Conference

Featuring the motto ‘Flightpath to Sustainability: A CARE-O-SENE symposium on catalysis for aviation fuel’, German and South African scientists from the CARE-O-SENE research consortium met in early March to discuss the status of their respective work packages as well as new ideas and approaches.

‘This was a milestone event for CARE-O-SENE,’ said Dr Dirk Schär, Technical Manager Marketing and Sales at Sasol and Co-lead of the CARE-O-SENE programme, who also chaired the first conference session. ‘CARE-O-SENE is as much about the results as it is about the exchange of ideas, approaches, and best practices across the globe. Facilitating this as part of our scheduled ‘halfway meeting’ sparked a lot of thoughts for everyone present and will likely yield further research and application ideas in the months and years to come.’

Several consortium members presented findings on project progress over the course of two days from March 4th to 5th. Invited speakers also provided an external perspective to round off the thought exchange during the conference, including the presentations ‘Syngas generation from renewable feedstocks’ by Thomas Christensen, Topsoe, and ‘Green H2 and PtX perspectives: Globally and for South Africa’ by Brett Cohen on behalf of the the German Development Cooperation (GIZ).

A three-hour session on the second day of the conference gave room to promising academic talents: In a number of 10-minute research pitches, students associated with CARE-O-SENE got an opportunity to present their ideas and results. Empowering and educating young talents is an integral part and parcel of CARE-O-SENE’s remit, with a special focus on the international as well as industrial-institutional exchange between the members of the community.

The official programme was followed by intensive work package meetings. In addition to this, time was also set aside to allow the participants of the CARE-O-SENE Mentoring Programme to engage in their various chosen settings. Taking advantage of the opportunity to meet in person and directly exchange ideas, experiences and advice proved highly useful and added yet another substantial benefit to the event.