Durban University of Technology’s Green Engineering Research Group, GERG, recently visited Hydrogen South Africa, HySA, Infrastructure facilities to expand its hydrogen research partnerships and gain first-hand experience of advanced hydrogen technologies.
The tour, facilitated by the South African National Energy Development Institute, SANEDI, provided the DUT team with valuable exposure to advanced hydrogen research capabilities at North West University, Potchefstroom and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria. HySA Infrastructure, jointly operated by NWU and CSIR, serves as a national centre of competence in hydrogen technologies and plays a key role in supporting South Africa’s growing hydrogen economy.
This engagement builds on the memorandum of agreement signed between SANEDI and DUT in August 2024, which established a strategic partnership to expand DUT’s hydrogen research capacity. As part of this collaboration, SANEDI committed R2 million in seed funding to support postgraduate research and the acquisition of specialised hydrogen technology. Strengthening research networks with HySA forms a critical pillar of this partnership. The visit offered DUT’s GERG team first-hand insight into the infrastructure and expertise HySA has developed over the past 15 years in hydrogen production, storage, materials development and renewable energy systems.
The DUT delegation, representing GERG, was led by Professor Sudesh Rathilal and accompanied by lead researcher Dr Emmanuel Tetteh, doctoral candidate Ms Ngobile Mkhize and master’s candidates Ms Nonhlanhla Ntombela and Ms Sanelisiwe Diestsela. During the visit, Dr Tetteh presented updates on hydrogen research initiatives, including pioneering work to produce green hydrogen from borehole water. He highlighted ongoing hydrogen projects and emphasised groundwater-based hydrogen production’s role in easing freshwater pressure and fostering inland hydrogen hubs. Professor Rathilal also expressed plans to acquire a locally developed proton exchange membrane electrolyser from HySA Infrastructure. The engagement provided GERG with insights into infrastructure development, water system management and the technical requirements for integrating a PEM electrolyser into DUT’s growing hydrogen research ecosystem.
Professor Sampson Mamphweli, Professor Sudesh Rathilal, Ms Ngobile Mkhize, Ms Sanelisiwe Diestsela, Ms Nonhlanhla Ntombela and Dr Emmanuel Tetteh on a facility tour at HySA in Potchefstroom.
Professor Sampson Mamphweli, Head of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, DSTI, Energy Secretariat, led the SANEDI delegation and emphasised the importance of collaboration rather than competition among institutions involved in hydrogen research. He noted that coordinated partnerships among universities, science councils and government entities are essential to drive the implementation of South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap and expand hydrogen hubs along the Hydrogen Valley corridor from Limpopo through Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal. He further highlighted that NWU’s hydrogen activities help extend the Hydrogen Valley footprint into the North West province, strengthening the national hydrogen landscape.
Professor Dmitri Bessarabov, Director of HySA Infrastructure at NWU, welcomed DUT’s commitment to hydrogen innovation and expressed full support for future collaboration, including joint research funding applications and capacity building initiatives. He also pledged HySA’s support in offering specialised training opportunities for DUT postgraduate students and assisting with the installation, commissioning and maintenance of the planned bench-scale PEM electrolyser.
The visit concluded at CSIR in Pretoria, where the delegation was introduced to the council’s pioneering work on turquoise hydrogen production through biogas pyrolysis. The CSIR team, led by Mr Ashton Swartbooi, conducted a tour of advanced research facilities and committed to supporting DUT by analysing hydrogen-related research samples and engaging in further technical collaboration.
SANEDI project officer Ms Azwihangwisi Nemadandila expressed appreciation to both CSIR and HySA NWU teams for their hospitality, insightful engagements and openness in sharing research expertise and collaborative opportunities. She commended the professionalism and willingness of all partners to support DUT’s growing role in the national hydrogen ecosystem.
Both SANEDI and DUT extended sincere gratitude to the HySA teams for their guidance, support and commitment to strengthening national hydrogen research partnerships. The visit has laid a strong foundation for future research initiatives, capacity building programmes and long-term institutional collaborations, positioning DUT, through GERG in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, as a leading centre for green hydrogen research and innovation in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa.
Pictured: DUT’s GERG and SANEDI team welcomed by Mr Ashton Swartbooi at CSIR in Pretoria.
Story: Supplied
