Inaugural Lecture Focuses on Green Energy Transition

Inaugural Lecture Focuses on Green Energy Transition

The inaugural lecture by Professor Amir Hossein Mohammadi of the School of Engineering focused on energy transition from fossil fuels to green hydrogen as part of a strategy to tackle the global challenge of moving from conventional, carbon-intensive energy sources toward a more sustainable and environmentally conscious energy model.

Originally from Iran, where he completed his BSc and MSc degrees at the University of Tehran, Mohammadi’s MPhil, PhD and Doctor of Science (Habilitation) studies continued in petroleum and chemical engineering, at Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom and the University of Paris 13 in France. He pursued postdoctoral research at the Ecole des Mines de Paris and served on the academic staff at MINES ParisTech in France for seven years before joining the academic staff at UKZN, where he was appointed an honorary staff member for three years. Mohammadi also gained experience as a process engineer at two crude oil refineries in Iran.

Mohammadi explained that the new fuels, such as green hydrogen, which functioned as interim solutions to alleviate immediate environmental impacts and eased the adoption of cleaner alternatives that provided more energy security, were safer and more affordable and protected the climate.

To attain more renewable energy sources, transition fuels provide a stepping stone away from natural gas, biofuels, hydrogen, and synthetic fuels, but come with their share of controversy around slowing progress toward fully sustainable solutions.

Mohammadi discussed the role, varieties, and challenges linked to transition fuels, underscoring their importance in navigating the intricate and urgent shift toward a more sustainable energy landscape.

He spoke about the paradigmatic shift from traditional fossil fuels to green hydrogen and green ammonia, positioning them as pivotal components in the quest for a more eco-friendly and sustainable energy panorama.

Transition fuels such as green hydrogen and green ammonia are versatile and promising substitutes for fossil fuels that will advance the curtailment of carbon emissions.

Mohammadi explained that green hydrogen was crafted through water electrolysis powered by renewable electricity, making it an eco-friendly energy carrier with applications in sectors from transportation to manufacturing. Ammonia, known for its application in fertilisers, could be an effective hydrogen carrier, especially in maritime and power generation industries. The carbon-free fuel was energy-dense and relatively easily stored, with an established value chain.

Mohammadi said green hydrogen and ammonia presented numerous international and far-reaching research opportunities, from production and storage to marketing, policy, and regulation.

Despite the potential of these alternatives, challenges such as production costs and infrastructure development made the green transition a delicate process. He emphasised the importance of a multi-stakeholder, inter-sectoral, global approach to ensuring technological progress, a favourable policy environment, and economic opportunities to navigate the complex journey toward a more sustainable, secure, and resilient energy production system.

Mohammadi is a leader in chemical engineering and has served on several scientific and organising committees for international conferences, on editorial boards, and as an editor and reviewer for international journals. In 2022, Stanford University recognised him among the top 2% of the world’s scientists. At UKZN, he has been recognised as one of the top 30 published researchers for 13 years and has received a Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s Research Award from the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science.

His over 600 publications reflect his influence, and he has supervised many master’s and PhD students from universities across the globe. Mohammadi is a member of professional associations that include the Institution of Chemical Engineers in the United Kingdom and the Society of Petroleum Engineers in the United States.

Mohammadi has been a visiting scholar at several universities and institutions in Europe and America. He held a three-year honorary appointment at the Durban University of Technology and a one-year adjunct appointment at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He holds an honorary position at INTI International University in Malaysia.

Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied