UCT spinout selected into global fellowship to drive clean fuel innovation – UCT News

Report on C STAR: A University of Cape Town Initiative for Sustainable Fuel Production

Executive Summary

A University of Cape Town (UCT) spinout company, C STAR, has developed an innovative technology to produce sustainable liquid fuels from carbon dioxide and green hydrogen. This initiative directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of climate action, clean energy, and industry innovation. The company’s selection as the first African entity in the Breakthrough Energy Fellowship program underscores its global significance and potential to contribute to decarbonisation efforts.

Advancing SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)

Technological Innovation for Greenhouse Gas Reduction

C STAR’s core mission is to mitigate climate change by transforming a primary greenhouse gas into a valuable resource, directly contributing to SDG 13.

• Feedstock Transformation: The process replaces fossil fuels (coal and natural gas) with captured carbon dioxide and green hydrogen.
• Emission Reduction: The technology has the potential to cut lifecycle emissions by up to 98% compared to conventional fossil fuels.
• Decarbonising Key Sectors: It provides a sustainable fuel alternative for hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, shipping, and heavy industry, which are critical for achieving the goals of SDG 7.

Fostering SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)

From University Research to Sustainable Industrial Application

The project exemplifies the principles of SDG 9 by leveraging decades of scientific research to create a new, sustainable industrial process and infrastructure model.

1. Innovative Application: The technology adapts the century-old Fischer-Tropsch process, historically used by Sasol in South Africa, for a climate-friendly purpose. The novelty lies in the use of sustainable inputs and highly efficient catalysts.
2. Scalable Infrastructure: Unlike traditional large-scale fuel plants, C STAR is developing modular, containerised units. This approach allows for decentralised deployment at various sites, including farms and mines, making sustainable infrastructure more accessible.
3. Development Trajectory: The project is scaling up from a laboratory unit producing 300 millilitres per day to a demonstration plant producing three litres per day, with the ultimate goal of barrel-scale production units.

Strengthening SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

Global Collaboration and Local Economic Impact

C STAR’s inclusion in the Breakthrough Energy Fellowship highlights the importance of global partnerships (SDG 17) in accelerating sustainable technologies, which in turn drives economic growth and job creation (SDG 8).

• International Partnership: The Breakthrough Energy Fellowship provides C STAR with critical resources, including:
  • Direct financial support.
  • Access to a global network of investors, mentors, and climate entrepreneurs.
  • Specialised training in company building and market definition.
• Economic Growth and Job Creation: The company is actively raising investment to expand its team, creating high-skilled jobs for engineers, business managers, and finance experts in South Africa.
• Long-Term Vision: The business model includes licensing the technology to larger companies, aiming to decarbonise fuel production globally and foster a sustainable economic ecosystem.

Leveraging SDG 4 (Quality Education) for Sustainable Innovation

Translating Academic Excellence into Societal Transformation

The foundation of C STAR is rooted in the academic and research excellence of UCT’s Catalysis Institute, demonstrating the critical role of quality education (SDG 4) in developing solutions to global challenges.

• Research Foundation: The technology is the culmination of over two decades of advanced fuel research supported by UCT’s Centre of Excellence in Catalysis (c*change).
• University-Industry Linkage: The project aligns with UCT’s Vision 2030, which promotes the creation of spinout companies that translate research into tangible societal impact.
• Educational Inspiration: The planned on-campus demonstration plant will serve as a practical educational tool, showing students how academic research can lead to real-world solutions for pressing issues like climate change.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article focuses on the development of “sustainable, climate-friendly fuels” using green hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This directly relates to increasing the share of renewable and clean energy sources in the global energy mix.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The creation of the start-up C STAR, its efforts to raise investment, and the plan to expand the team (“This company will create jobs”) contribute to economic growth, innovation, and job creation, particularly in the high-tech sector.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The core of the article is about a technological innovation—a new process for creating synthetic fuels. It discusses building new infrastructure (demonstration plants, modular units) and upgrading industrial processes to be more sustainable, which is central to this goal.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The primary motivation for the C STAR project is to combat climate change. The technology is designed to “significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at scale” and can “cut lifecycle emissions by up to 98%,” directly addressing the need for urgent climate action.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article highlights the importance of partnerships, specifically the international collaboration between the South African start-up C STAR and the Breakthrough Energy Fellowship. This partnership provides funding, mentorship, and access to global networks, which are crucial for scaling the technology.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article’s focus on creating “sustainable, climate-friendly fuels” from “green hydrogen” directly supports this target by developing an alternative to fossil fuels.
  • Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology… and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology. The Breakthrough Energy Fellowship is a clear example of international cooperation providing C STAR with “funding,” “access to world-class mentorship,” and “investor networks” to advance their clean fuel technology.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation. C STAR’s work represents technological innovation that can create a new, high-value industry in sustainable fuels.
  • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. The article describes the creation of a “deep-tech start-up” that will “create jobs” for “graduates from UCT, from South Africa,” directly fostering entrepreneurship and job creation.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable. The technology is presented as a “solution for hard-to-decarbonise sectors” like aviation and shipping, aiming to make these industries more sustainable.
  • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries… encouraging innovation. The entire project is a result of decades of scientific research at UCT’s Catalysis Institute being turned into a commercial venture to upgrade fuel production technology.
  • Target 9.b: Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries. The article showcases a South African innovation (“a technology born in South Africa’s laboratories”) being supported for global deployment.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation. The project, originating from a university, and the plan to build a demonstration plant on campus serve to educate and inspire students, building human capacity to develop “real solutions for the world’s most pressing problems.”

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation. The partnership between C STAR (a South African entity) and the international Breakthrough Energy Fellowship exemplifies this cooperation, providing access to technology, finance, and global networks.
  • Target 17.7: Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies. The long-term goal to “license their technology to larger companies, helping decarbonise fuel production worldwide” directly aligns with this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)

  • Implied Indicator: Volume of sustainable fuel produced. The article mentions scaling production from a “small laboratory unit that produces 300 millilitres of synthetic diesel per day” to a “demonstration plant capable of producing three litres of fuel per day,” with the goal of reaching “barrel-scale production.”

• For SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

  • Implied Indicator: Number of jobs created. The article explicitly states, “This company will create jobs,” and plans to “expand their three-person team and hire engineers, business managers, and finance experts.”
  • Implied Indicator: Amount of investment raised. Progress can be measured by the success of their “pre-seed investment round” and future funding efforts.

• For SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)

  • Implied Indicator: Number of innovative enterprises (start-ups) created. C STAR is presented as a “UCT spinout” and a “deep-tech start-up.”
  • Implied Indicator: Number of sustainable infrastructure units deployed. The goal is to “deliver containerised, modular plants that can be deployed at industrial or agricultural sites.”

• For SDG 13 (Climate Action)

  • Indicator: Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The article quantifies the technology’s potential impact, stating it can “cut lifecycle emissions by up to 98% compared with conventional fossil fuels.”

• For SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

  • Implied Indicator: Number of international partnerships and collaborations. The selection for the “Breakthrough Energy Fellowship” is a key indicator of a successful international partnership.
  • Implied Indicator: Access to international financial networks. The article notes, “We’ve already started receiving requests to talk to international investors,” which serves as a measure of progress.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news.uct.ac.za