UCT researcher earns prestigious global science grant

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has strengthened its position as a leader in clean energy research after Associate Professor Rhiyaad Mohamed was selected as one of only 11 researchers worldwide to receive the 2026 EQT Foundation Critical Minerals Science Grant.

UCT is the only African institution represented in this year’s global cohort, placing the university at the forefront of international efforts to overcome one of the biggest challenges facing the green hydrogen economy: reducing dependence on scarce critical minerals.

The prestigious grant will support research at UCT’s Catalysis Institute to develop ultra-low-iridium anodes for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysers – research that could help make green hydrogen production more affordable, scalable and sustainable.

Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water using renewable electricity, is widely regarded as an important energy carrier in efforts to decarbonise and defossilise heavy industry, transport and energy systems. However, one of the major barriers to widespread deployment of PEM water electrolysis is its reliance on iridium – one of the rarest elements in the Earth’s crust, with extremely limited global production.

“The objective is not simply to reduce the quantity of iridium, but to use every atom of the material more effectively.”

Associate Professor Mohamed’s research seeks to address this challenge by developing catalyst structures that substantially reduce the amount of iridium required without compromising performance or durability.

“The objective is not simply to reduce the quantity of iridium, but to use every atom of the material more effectively,” Mohamed explained.

“If PEM water electrolysis is to be deployed at the scale required to support the global green hydrogen economy, the amount of iridium used in each electrolyser must be reduced substantially. Otherwise, the limited availability of the metal could become a major constraint on the growth of the technology.”

Global recognition for South African research

For Mohamed, the award represents both a personal milestone and recognition of South Africa’s growing expertise in hydrogen technologies.

“It is a tremendous honour to be selected as one of only 11 researchers globally for this grant,” he said.

“However, I do not regard this as an individual achievement. It reflects the quality and commitment of the researchers and students working within the UCT Catalysis Institute and the Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) Catalysis Centre of Competence.”

Mohamed, a graduate from the programme, also acknowledged the sustained investment by the national Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) through the HySA programme, in building South Africa’s research capabilities in hydrogen and related technologies over more than 15 years. The programme is implemented with the support of the South African National Energy Development Institute.

“The fact that UCT is the only African institution represented in the cohort is particularly significant,” Mohamed said. “It shows that African institutions can contribute at the forefront of critical minerals research, advanced materials and green hydrogen technology.”

The EQT Foundation grant builds on a substantial research platform developed at UCT’s Catalysis Institute and the DSTI-funded HySA Catalysis Centre, which focuses on advanced electrocatalysts and electrolyser technologies.

The EQT Foundation grant will enable a focused and ambitious extension of the work, supporting advanced materials synthesis, catalyst development, electrode fabrication and electrochemical testing.

“It is essential that African researchers participate not only as users of clean energy technologies, but also as inventors, developers and manufacturers of those technologies.”

The project will investigate new ways of dispersing and supporting iridium so that significantly less of the precious metal is required while maintaining the performance and durability needed for practical PEM electrolyser operation.

Researchers will also focus on translating promising laboratory discoveries into practical membrane-electrode assemblies that can be manufactured reproducibly and evaluated under realistic operating conditions.

Ultimately, the goal is to demonstrate a viable pathway towards resource-efficient PEM water electrolysis that can support large-scale green hydrogen production.

An African contribution to the global energy transition

Mohamed believes the award underscores the important role African researchers can play in developing, rather than simply adopting, clean energy technologies.

“It is essential that African researchers participate not only as users of clean energy technologies, but also as inventors, developers and manufacturers of those technologies,” he said.

South Africa is particularly well positioned to contribute through its strong scientific institutions, expertise in platinum-group metals and abundant renewable energy resources.

The research also aligns closely with South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap, which aims to leverage hydrogen technologies to drive industrialisation, create jobs and support a just transition to a lower-carbon economy.

“Our opportunity is to move beyond supplying raw materials and instead participate in higher-value activities such as catalyst development, component manufacturing, electrolyser integration and technology commercialisation,” Mohamed said.

“I hope this project demonstrates that Africa can contribute original technologies to the global clean energy transition.”

“This would allow South Africa to capture more of the economic value associated with its mineral resources while contributing meaningfully to the global energy transition.”

Beyond scientific advances, the project is expected to contribute to skills development by training postgraduate students and emerging researchers in electrocatalysis, electrochemical engineering, advanced materials and hydrogen technologies.

Mohamed hopes the research will help lay the foundation for a South African and African green hydrogen value chain capable of producing intellectual property and advanced manufacturing capabilities.

“The green hydrogen transition will require more than simply increasing the number of electrolysers deployed,” he said.

“It will also require us to address the material constraints embedded within these technologies. By developing catalysts that use scarce resources more efficiently, we can help ensure that green hydrogen technologies are not only technically effective, but also scalable, economically viable and sustainable.”

He added that the EQT Foundation’s support provides an important opportunity to move promising research closer to practical implementation.

“I hope this project demonstrates that Africa can contribute original technologies to the global clean energy transition. We should help shape, invent and build the technologies that will define a more sustainable future.”