Mpho Qhubu, a PhD candidate in the University of Pretoria’s Department of Chemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, joined three like-minded students from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) to qualify as semi-finalists in the Climate and Energy Prize competition of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The MIT Climate and Energy Prize aims to empower university students to launch companies that tackle the climate challenge. It seeks to move the world closer to net zero carbon emissions by empowering ambitious entrepreneurs to solve the world’s most difficult climate-related challenges. Combining business skills with engineering and scientific acumen, the team – comprising Mpho Qhubu from the University of Pretoria, Tokelo Khambule (team leader) and Hugo Mkhize from the Cambridge Judge Business School, and Pascal Mwenge from VUT – formed a student company, Philisa Energy.

The problem they sought to address with their entry was threefold. Firstly, they aimed to develop a solution to address the high cost of raw material for biodiesel production derived from fossil fuels, coupled with the limited feedstock options, which hinders the widespread commercialisation of biodiesel. Secondly, they hoped to address the environmental impact of biodiesel production, since the traditional production process involves the use of single-use homogeneous catalysts that generate wastewater and have limited reusability. Finally, they looked at the challenge of resource depletion, as the lack of efficient utilisation of steel industry by-products, specifically slag steel in developing countries, leads to land occupation, environmental pollution and wasted resources.

Their solution entailed the production of biodiesel in an environmentally friendly manner using slags, a waste product from blast furnaces obtained during steel production. According to Mpho, slags are used to produce geopolymer catalysts through modification using alkali solutions. The geopolymer will be produced into powder, beads and 3D spheres, which will allow it to be reused multiple times as it can be easily recovered.

She explains that the team members are passionate about transforming the energy landscape by making use of a revolutionary circular mindset. They will achieve this by harnessing the power of sustainable catalysts and waste cooking oil. “This is a readily available resource that is often destined for landfills.” The resulting biodiesel is not only eco-friendly and reusable, but also cost-effective, making it a win-win for businesses and the environment. “We are more than just producers of biodiesel, we are architects of a greener future!”

The Climate and Energy competition received more than 850 applications, from which about 100 teams qualified for the second round of the competition. The Philisa Energy team was one of only nine teams to make it through to the semi-finals in London, which took place on 14 and 15 March 2024.

Although they did not make it through to the final round of the competition, they received a year-long mentorship programme to assist them with improving their entrepreneurship skills, and to support them to move beyond research to produce innovative products that, in turn, can generate income streams and create employment in the future, while assisting to fight the global climate challenge.

Mpho explains that, through networking sessions, they were introduced to incubators that will assist them in piloting their project into a start-up aiming to produce at an industrial scale. They were able to join the New Energy Technology Incubator (NETI) Climate Tech Bootcamp, where they will be further mentored and assisted to raise pre-seed funding for their project. They participated in the Knowledge Innovation Community (KIC) Climate Launchpad, which is co-funded by the European Union as well. They have also joined the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Programme, and hope to use this competition to raise pre-seed funding.

The team is set to continue with the project and to develop it into a full-time business. They have already produced 5 ℓ of biodiesel in the lab from cooking oil, and have collected more than 200 ℓ of waste oil. They plan to build a reactor and move their research out of the lab and onto the plant.

Mpho says that their commitment extends beyond biodiesel production. “We actively champion sustainable energy practices across the board, collaborating with partners to decarbonise industries and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We believe in responsibility and collaboration, and strive to set new standards in biodiesel production, while promoting a circular economy that benefits everyone.”