Pretoria: Sasol has called on scientists and engineers to tackle the high cost of green hydrogen, aiming to shift promising decarbonisation technologies from research labs to real-world applications. Dr. Theo Mudzunga, Sasol's Vice-President for Fundamental Science Research, highlighted these ambitions during a sub-forum on Green Fuels and Aggregated Multi-type Energy Storage Empowering High-quality Development. According to South African Government News Agency, the sub-forum is part of the 19th Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai, China. This event brought together South African and international researchers, policymakers, and business representatives to discuss innovation and technological cooperation. South Africa, this year's Country of Honour, was represented by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande, leading the delegation. Dr. Mudzunga emphasized the role of research and innovation in overcoming challenges associated with power-to-liquids technology, which combines ren ewable electricity, green hydrogen, and captured carbon dioxide to produce sustainable liquid fuels. He pointed out that Sasol's experience in synthetic-fuel production gives it an advantage, yet significant scientific and commercial obstacles persist. Mudzunga stressed the need for improvements in hydrogen efficiency and conversion processes, urging for a reduction in the high costs of green hydrogen. He warned that scientific breakthroughs alone are insufficient to drive the energy transition, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between universities, government, research institutions, and companies from the early stages of research to commercial deployment. Highlighting the complexity of transitioning scientific discoveries to commercial applications, Mudzunga argued that closer cooperation could reduce time and risks associated with new technologies. He advocated for partnerships as essential components for success, blending scientific research with industrial expertise and engineering to acceler ate innovation. Sasol's transition aligns with South Africa's broader goals of industrialisation, economic growth, and emission reductions, despite the challenges of balancing these objectives. Mudzunga noted that Sasol's operations, heavily reliant on coal, necessitate decarbonisation for both commercial and societal reasons. The company's strategy involves lowering emissions and leveraging the transition to establish new businesses. Mudzunga outlined an integrated portfolio approach, encompassing renewable power, feedstocks, process efficiency, digital technologies, carbon capture, and circular-economy initiatives. He emphasized the need for multiple solutions strategically deployed at scale, rather than a single technology to achieve the energy transition. Sasol has developed expertise in sustainable aviation fuel and low-carbon products, with existing industrial facilities potentially reducing the capital required for scaling emerging technologies. Future projects, however, must be selected based on fe asibility and commercial competitiveness. Mudzunga concluded that while the energy transition poses significant challenges, it also presents opportunities. Through technology, collaboration, and sustained innovation, Sasol aims to contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable future.