The African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC) and the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) are maintaining their partnership to advance research and skills in the Green Hydrogen Economy.

As South Africa and the global community continue adopting low-carbon technologies, informed policymaking and skills development are vital. For Green Hydrogen economy pathways, research-based policies and workforce training are essential to establish and expand the sector. This is the focus of a partnership between the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) and the African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC), dedicated to enhancing skills and promoting research through the CHIETA Hydrogen Economy Research Chair at the AELC. CHIETA pledges to support and strengthen this green hydrogen research focus area by advancing applied research, partnerships, and bursaries.

The ongoing agreement emphasises CHIETA's strong commitment to skills development within the country’s energy transition pathways. This occurs against the backdrop of a funding partnership initiated in 2017 that led to the establishment of the AELC to address the skills shortage in the continent’s energy sector and other parts of the economy.

Reflecting on the agreement, CHIETA CEO Mr Yershen Pillay commented that “Green hydrogen is South Africa’s new gold. The collaboration between CHIETA and the AELC is a giant leap forward towards establishing tangible initiatives aimed at growing the green hydrogen economy. CHIETA is proud to have funded the establishment of the new Research Chair for Green Hydrogen at the AELC. More research will lead to better outcomes and more impactful interventions by policymakers on how best to address the growth challenges of South Africa’s bourgeoning green hydrogen economy.”

The agreement includes, among other things, the following initiatives that the Centre will undertake.

• Promoting partnerships between industry and institutions in the chemical sector by engaging locally and globally through collaborations in Pan-African and BRICS-focused initiatives.

• Supporting national priorities through short courses and masterclasses tailored for stakeholders in the chemical sector, SMMEs, and TVET institutions to promote the adoption of innovative and emerging skills. 

• Conduct applied research that advances the Chemical Industry’s goals for green hydrogen and low-carbon solutions.

These initiatives will be further supported by the Centre’s promotion of postdoctoral research and PhD projects related to green hydrogen through bursaries. 

Professor David Phaho, the AELC Director and Discipline Lead, noted that “The AELC – CHIETA collaboration stands out as one of the most mutually beneficial in the South African higher education ecosystem. Since providing funding for the establishment of the AELC here at the WBS, CHIETA has demonstrated its strong commitment to the centre’s growth, sustainability, and relevance for South Africa’s energy security. As Green Hydrogen gains global recognition as a vital component in driving the decarbonisation of our South African economy without compromising its global competitiveness, Wits Business School thus looks forward to delivering on CHIETA’s generous funding for the Research Chair in Hydrogen Economy at the AELC”.

About CHIETA: The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) is a statutory body established under the Skills Development Act in 1998. CHIETA’s role in the sector is to facilitate skills development and ensure that skills needs are identified and addressed through various training initiatives in the chemical and manufacturing industries.

About AELC: Established in 2017 through funding from CHIETA, the African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC) is the first and only of its kind in Africa. It is situated within Wits Business School (WBS) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its primary aim is to cultivate leaders in the energy sector and related fields who think and act strategically, possessing the skills necessary to meet the challenges of an evolving African energy landscape, which remains the centre's focus for research and education. Importantly, the CHIETA Sector Skills Plan informed the rationale for the Centre and the identification of beneficiaries and stakeholders 

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