Clean cooking fuel with a great impact for southern Africa
Sabine Döring (2nd from right), State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), learned about the GreenQUEST initiative during her visit to the University of Cape Town. © UCT
More than 50 scientists from South Africa and Germany are working together in the interdisciplinary GreenQuest project. © UCT
Burning biomass for cooking causes harmful environmental and health issues. The German-South African GreenQUEST initiative is developing a clean household fuel. It aims to reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions and to improve access to energy for households in sub-Saharan Africa.
In sub-Saharan Africa, almost one billion people have limited access to clean household energy. The widespread use of biomass (including firewood) as an energy source contributes to deforestation, soil erosion and carbon dioxide emissions.
The GreenQUEST project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aims to develop a green liquefied petroleum gas (LFG or gLFG) as an alternative to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The gLFG currently mirrors the efficiency and clean-burning qualities of LPG but without its fossil carbon burden. It is to be produced from green hydrogen, which is obtained using renewable energies, and carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere.
The CO2-neutral fuel also promises better access to clean energy for low-income households in Africa. GreenQUEST is not only promoting the technical development of green LPG, but is also analysing the economic, environmental and social impact that a market launch of green LPG could have.
50 researchers from South Africa and Germany work hand in hand
More than 50 scientists from South Africa and Germany are working together on the interdisciplinary project. It is led by the Catalysis Institute of the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin. This partnership promotes lasting relationships in the field of energy research and thus strengthens the strategic alliance between South Africa and Germany.
State Secretary of BMBF sees the potential for positive change globally
"The cooperative approach driving the GreenQUEST project has the potential to effect positive change not only in African communities but globally," said State Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Prof Dr Sabine Döring on the occasion of her visit to the University of Cape Town. "This exemplifies the commitment of Germany and South Africa to support sustainable initiatives, underscoring the importance of working together for the betterment of all."
- Humboldt-Fellow at HZB-Institute for Solar Fuels: Alexander R. UhlAlexander R. Uhl, UBC Okanagan School of Engineering in Kelowna, Canada, aims to develop with Roel van de Krol from the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels an efficient and inexpensive photoelectrolyser for producing hydrogen using sunlight. His stay is being funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
- What Zinc concentration in teeth revealsTeeth are composites of mineral and protein, with a bulk of bony dentin that is highly porous. This structure is allows teeth to be both strong and sensitive. Besides calcium and phosphate, teeth contain trace elements such as zinc. Using complementary microscopy imaging techniques, a team from Charité Berlin, TU Berlin and HZB has quantified the distribution of natural zinc along and across teeth in 3 dimensions. The team found that, as porosity in dentine increases towards the pulp, zinc concentration increases 5~10 fold. These results help to understand the influence of widely-used zinc-containing biomaterials (e.g. filling) and could inspire improvements in dental medicine.
- Element cobalt exhibits surprising propertiesThe element cobalt is considered a typical ferromagnet with no further secrets. However, an international team led by HZB researcher Dr. Jaime Sánchez-Barriga has now uncovered complex topological features in its electronic structure. Spin-resolved measurements of the band structure (spin-ARPES) at BESSY II revealed entangled energy bands that cross each other along extended paths in specific crystallographic directions, even at room temperature. As a result, cobalt can be considered as a highly tunable and unexpectedly rich topological platform, opening new perspectives for exploiting magnetic topological states in future information technologies.