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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