1. Sasolburg Operations NEWS – November / December 2015
14
International recognition for
Sasolburg Operations’ employee
Kapil Moothi, process engineer at SO Gas Loop and Utilities,
received recognition from the International Forum for High
Potentials in Sustainable Development’s Green Talents
competition for the contribution to the development
of innovative technologies for economically viable
nanotechnology applications in South Africa through the
results of his PhD.
Kapil was one of 26 winning young scientists from 20
countries, out of 550 applications, in categories ranging
from urban planning, biodiversity, renewable energy and
resource management to the sociopolitical implications of
new technologies.
The focus of Kapil’s research entailed “Direct conversion of
coal into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) so as to bring the cost of
CNTs down significantly, allowing tor their practical use in
nanotechnology applications.
Kapil’s application for the competition was endorsed
by Meyya Meyyappan, Chief Scientist for Exploration
Technology at NASA, who was the external advisor for
Kapil’s PhD thesis at the University of the Witwatersrand.
According to Meyya, one of the biggest advantages of
Kapil’s approach is that it reduces the energy footprint
associated with the production of CNTs and also helps the
environment.
The participants gained a deeper insight into the country’s
innovation system, learned about state-of-the-art
approaches and technologies, and exchanged ideas with the
country’s leading experts in individual meetings.
According to Wilfried Kraus, Deputy Director General of
the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research,
the relevance of programmes like Green Talents lies in
international science cooperation. The networks created are
essential to see the bigger picture, to develop new ideas
and strong partnerships, and to enhance the transfer of
technology from research into practical application.
Winners were invited to participate in a two-week Science
Forum in October during which they visited top locations
for sustainability research in Germany. In addition, winners
are also granted the opportunity to study for three months
at a German research institution, sponsored by the German
government.
Kapil Moothi (right) receives his Green Talents award
from Wilfred Kraus, Deputy Director General of the
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
The 2015 Green Talents winning young scientists from 20 countries were chosen from 550 applicants representing 90
countries. A young Sasolburg Operations employee, Kapil Moothi, (on the right in the back row) was one of them.