CARE-O-SENE opens 789th WE Heraeus Seminar on Sustainable Aviation Fuels

CARE-O-SENE opens 789th WE Heraeus Seminar on Sustainable Aviation Fuels

"Sustainable Aviation Fuels – Design, Production and Climate Impact" – this was the topic of the 789th WE Heraeus Seminar hosted by the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation From 24 to 27 May, experts in their field presented the current status and future developments in the process chain of sustainable aviation fuels – from raw materials to production and actual application.

Some of our partners from the CARE-O-SENE consortium were also present. These included Prof Michael ClaeysUniversity of Cape Town, and co-organiser Prof. Dr Moritz Wolf from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Dr Denzil MoodleySenior Scientist Research & Technology at Sasol, opened the event with his presentation on the progress of the CARE-O-SENE research project. The aim of the project is to develop and optimise so-called cobalt catalysts. They play a key role in the large-scale production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

Denzil Moodley's presentation focused on work packages 2 and 3. The second work package deals with the structural characterisation of catalyst materials in order to support catalyst development and testing in packages 1 and 3. The third work package aims to produce larger quantities of suitable catalysts. This material will then be used to carry out tests on a larger scale.

In addition, the seminar offered young researchers the opportunity to actively participate in panel discussions and exchange ideas with SAF experts. They also had the opportunity to present their own results in poster presentations. Young CARE-O-SENE partners were also present. Rabia Elbuga-Ilica, Enrico Sireci and Dan Zhao from KIT and Dr Catalina E. Jiménez from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), among others, prepared posters. Cherie Hsu from KIT was even able to take home the poster prize for her contribution "Cobalt oxide model systems with mixed metals (Mn, Al, Ti) for optimising the sustainable production of aviation fuel by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis".

The Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation is a non-profit foundation for the promotion and education within the natural sciences. More information on the 789th WE Heraeus Seminar is available here: https://www.we-heraeus-stiftung.de/veranstaltungen/sustainable-aviation-fuels-design-production-and-climate-impact/main/

(from left): TT-Prof. Dr Moritz Wolf (KIT), Prof. Michael Claeys (UCT), Dr Sonya Calnan (HZB), Enrico Sireci (KIT), Dr Catalina Jimenez (HZB), Dan Zhao (KIT), Rabia Elbuga-Ilica (KIT), Cherie Hsu (KIT)
(from left): Dr Markus Koehler (DLR), Victor Burger (Sasol), Dr Christoph Arndt (DLR), Cherie Hsu (KIT)

Strategic Advisory Board visits Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

Strategic Advisory Board visits Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

On May 25th, our partners at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) welcomed the members of the Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) of the Helmholtz Research Field Energy. At the event, Dr Lucero Cobos Becerra and Dr Avela Kunene from HZB presented the CARE-O-SENE project in detail. The goal of this catalyst research programme is to pave the way for large-scale production of sustainable aviation fuels by 2025.

Members of the SAB include Prof. Steven Chu, Nobel laureate in physics and former US Secretary of Energy.

(from left): Prof. Otmar D. Wiestler, President of the Helmholtz Association, Dr Lucero Cobos Becerra, Prof. Steven Chu, Dr Avela Kunene and Prof. Bernd Rech, Managing Director of Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.

South African delegation visits Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

South African delegation visits Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

On March 28th, a delegation of senior political and business representatives from South Africa visited the Helmholtz-Zentrum, Berlin (HZB) in a meeting organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work. The gathering was triggered by an interest in the cooperation of the CARE-O-SENE consortium partners and was attended by business and government agency leaders, as well as the programme manager for Infrastructure Financing and Funding, Shaakira Karolia, representing the South African presidency.

The guests were given a tour of the HZB’s synchrotron facility, as well as presentations on CARE-O-SENE and the science behind the initiative. The event was very well received by the South African delegation and once again reinforced the message of the fossil-free future being a considerable challenge while also demonstrating the dedication and effort being expended by the consortium partners in overcoming it.

First ministerial meeting on CARE-O-SENE at University of Cape Town

First ministerial meeting on CARE-O-SENE at University of Cape Town

On 27 March 2023, German Federal Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, met up with German and South-African delegates from the scientific, industrial, and political communities at the University of Cape Town in a first official visit regarding collaborative initiatives between the two countries, including CARE-O-SENE, of which Sasol is a founding consortium member.

The event was attended by Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape, and Andreas Peschke, the German Ambassador Designate to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, as well as dignitaries from the university, the Helmholtz Zentrum in Berlin, and Sasol, among others.

Federal Minister Stark-Watzinger emphasised the significance of this field of research: “Clean airplanes for a clean planet: Just as aviation increased the speed of travel, clean aviation can accelerate climate action. The shift in the skies will bring the transition on the ground. Researchers are already working on making this vision come true. Together with South Africa, we will achieve the global energy transition.”

CARE-O-SENE is a truly unique partnership industry and research to accelerate innovation in the large-scale commercialization of green kerosene production by 2025. The initiative has received significant funding by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and represents a key component in the joint Green Hydrogen strategy of Germany and South-Africa.

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NDR visits Sasol in Brunsbuettel

At the beginning of February, Sasol Germany welcomed the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) to its Brunsbuettel plant. Research is currently being carried out there on the development of a new generation of catalysts. Sasol will then test them at its site in South Africa, the largest Fischer Tropsch pilot plant in the world. This is because the new catalysts are expected to form the basis for an efficient and cost-effective production of green kerosene in the future.

Dr Dirk Schär, Lead Technical Marketing Catalyst, Dr Angela Siegel, Manager R&D Shaped Carrier at Sasol Germany, and her team gave the NDR team an insight into the research work. In the process, they present various possible shapes of a catalyst and explain that these are crucial for efficient kerosene yield.

The entire NDR report on CARE-O-SENE research in Brunsbuettel can be found here.

Partner-News: Dirk Schär in CHEManager

In an article in CHEManager, Dr Dirk Schär, Lead Technical Marketing Catalyst at Sasol Germany and project manager at CARE-O-SENE, talks about the international research project. He goes into detail about the advantages and necessity of new catalysts in the production of sustainable aviation fuels and explains the individual work steps of the CARE-O-SENE project.

Click here for the full article! (This article is only available in German)

Partner-News: CARE-O-SENE in Adlershof Journal

Partner-News: CARE-O-SENE in Adlershof Journal

In an interview with Adlershof Journal, Tobias Sontheimer, head of the Energy Strategy Department at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and project manager at CARE-O-SENE, and Yazmin Lucero, chemical engineer at HZB and coordinator of all project partners, talk about the goals of the CARE-O-SENE project and the associated experiments at HBZ in Adlershof.

Click here for the full article!

International exchange continues: Sasol hosts German innovation officer in Sasolburg

International exchange continues: Sasol hosts German innovation officer in Sasolburg

Johannesburg, South Africa, 28 November 2022 Following the visit of the German Ambassador to South Africa Sasol Operations now hosted two more German envoys at the Sasolburg plant: Till Mansmann, Innovation Officer for Green Hydrogen at the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), and H.E. Enrico Brandt, Deputy German Ambassador.

Together they got an idea of the work being carried out as part of the CARE-O-SENE project. The aim of the project is to develop novel Fischer-Tropsch catalysts needed for the production of sustainable kerosene on an industrial scale.

Between the obligatory safety briefings and a joint tour of the plant, last Monday's visit was filled with topics such as sustainable aviation fuels, the importance of green hydrogen, and the innovative use of Sasol's many years of experience in Fischer-Tropsch technology. Dr Denzil Moodley, Senior Scientist at Sasol, gave an overview of the current state of research and technology around CARE-O-SENE.

The visit of Mansmann and Brandt to Sasolburg continues the international exchange between Germany and South Africa. The project will thus establish long-term, strategic cooperation partnerships that will also play an important role in the development of future projects in the field of green hydrogen use. 

For more information about the CARE-O-SENE project, please visit our FAQ page..

Sasol hosts two German innovation officers in Sasolburg
Till Mansmann and Enrico Brandt visit Sasol

New study on Manganese promotion presented at South African catalysis conference

New study on Manganese promotion presented at South African catalysis conference

Cooperation between Sasol and the University of Cape Town brings new insights on the use of manganese to improve selectivity and overall activity in FTS

During the annual CATSA conference on 13-16th November 2022 in Drakensburg, South Africa, Sasol’s Vincent Vermaak will present a joint paper with the Catalysis Institute at the University of Cape Town on “Lift-off to sustainable aviation fuels: Optimization of Fischer-Tropsch performance with Manganese promotion”. CATSA annual conferences are one of the most popular series of conferences in South Africa, in the field of catalysis, which brings together experts from across the world to discuss, disseminate information and share ideas on advancing the field of catalysis. The conferences have now grown to well over 250 people with increased international participation. The study presented is part of the initial phase of the CARE-O-SENE consortium between South African and German industrial and institutional partners towards a decarbonised future and aimed to i) review and consolidate the prevailing view on the role on Manganese promotion based on past studies and ii) investigate the impact of and optimize the Manganese loading for selectivity and activity. The addition of a small amount of Manganese improves long-chain hydrocarbon selectivity and overall activity by facilitating oxygen removal from the surface, and/or reducing cobalt particle size. Manganese is also an interesting choice due to more than 70% of the known global reserves finding their origin in South Africa. Vincent joined Sasol in February 2022 as part of the Scientist in Training (SIT) program. In previous years, Vincent has worked at Sasol twice as a student, among other things, researching in catalyst development for hydrogenation.

Vincent Vermaak is a Scientist in Training (SIT) at Sasol. Before joining Sasol in February 2022 to purse his Scientist career, he obtained his doctor’s degree in Chemistry at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. During his studies, Vincent worked at Sasol twice, researching in catalyst development for hydrogenation as well as for the Innovation Management department. One of Vincent’s main goals is helping to improve the way of living in a community through research. Part of that goal are his study and contributions to the CARE-O-SENE consortium between Germany and South Africa.