3 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) hosted an insightful presentation titled \u201cDecarbonisation Through Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS): Engineering Pathways, Hydrogen Integration and Africa\u2019s Clean Energy Strategy\u201d by Dr Lord Ugwu on Friday, 5 September 2025, at the VUT main campus auditorium in Vanderbijlpark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This event followed VUT\u2019s successful launch of the Green Hydrogen Centre of Excellence on Thursday 04 September 2025, during which the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Professor Khaled Abou-El-Hossein, invited Dr Ugwu to deepen the dialogue on hydrogen\u2019s pivotal role in shaping South Africa\u2019s energy future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The presentation drew a diverse audience, including staff from VUT\u2019s Faculty of Engineering, the Acting Dean, Dr Nolutho Mkhumbeni and team from the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, PhD candidates in Engineering, and laboratory assistants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Ugwu began by addressing the world\u2019s continued dependency on fossil fuels, which intensifies greenhouse gas accumulation, global warming, and rising global temperatures. He emphasised the urgent need for nations such as South Africa to reassess and redirect their energy strategies towards sustainable and clean alternatives. The discussion covered the various types of hydrogen: grey, blue and green, each with distinct potentials and challenges. He underlined that the long-term goal is a clean hydrogen economy, with green hydrogen offering the most sustainable solution. He detailed methods of hydrogen production, catalytic applications, and integration into industries including transport, chemicals, fertilisers, glass manufacturing, and food and beverages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Providing a comprehensive overview of CCUS technologies, Dr Ugwu outlined approaches ranging from post-combustion chemical absorption using amine-based solvents to advanced methods such as solid material adsorption, membrane separation, cryogenic separation, and direct air capture. He explained how these technologies capture CO\u2082 from flue gases, allowing for conditioning, compression, and transport, often via specialised shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Highlighting utilisation pathways, Dr Ugwu explained how captured CO\u2082 can be repurposed for methanol and synthetic fuel production, urea fertilisers, polymers, mineralisation, and algae cultivation. He noted Africa\u2019s unique potential to lead in clean energy innovations, drawing on its abundant sunshine and natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drawing lessons from Canada, recognised as a leader in CCUS and hydrogen integration, Dr Ugwu illustrated how South Africa could adopt similar models in industrial hubs such as Sasol Secunda and Durban Petra. He stressed the importance of supportive policies, fiscal incentives, and carbon pricing frameworks to accelerate adoption of these technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Commending VUT for its bold vision, Dr Ugwu applauded the university\u2019s proactive steps towards becoming a centre of excellence for CCUS and hydrogen research, including ongoing doctoral projects focused on CO\u2082 capture. This positions VUT as a significant contributor to South Africa\u2019s green economy transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his closing remarks, Professor Khaled emphasised that the clean energy challenge is inherently interdisciplinary, requiring collaboration across faculties. He highlighted that initiatives such as this presentation empower the VUT community to make meaningful contributions to Africa\u2019s clean energy strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interactive Q&A session revealed keen interest from academics, students, and industry stakeholders, sparking conversations on future collaborations and strategies to address regional pollution challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Dr Ugwu concluded, Africa stands poised to make significant strides towards a brighter, cleaner future, and VUT is ready to play a pivotal role in this journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “VUT hosted Dr Lord Ugwu for a presentation on decarbonisation through CCUS, hydrogen integration, and Africa\u2019s clean energy strategy, highlighting 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