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16 July 2020 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied
Prof Paul Oberholster and Prof Zakkie Pretorius

Two staff members from the University of the Free State (UFS) are nominated for the Science Oscars for their outstanding work and contributions to science over the years. 

Prof Pretorius is nominated in two categories, namely the Special Annual Theme Award: Research and development (R&D) and innovation in Plant Health as well as the Lifetime category.  The Special Annual Theme Awards are made in recognition of the International Year of Plant Health (2020), as declared by the United Nations.

Prof Oberholster is nominated for the NSTF-Water Research Commission Award. This award is for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering, and technology (SET) and innovation in South Africa in terms of sustainable water management, knowledge generation, and solutions over the past five to ten years, and is awarded in recognition of demonstrated leadership and impact.

Science Oscars of South Africa

The NSTF-South32 Awards are referred to as the ‘Science Oscars’ of South Africa and are the largest, most comprehensive, and sought-after national awards of its kind in the country. It was also the first science awards in South Africa.

Prof Oberholster says it is a privilege to be nominated and selected as a finalist in his specific field of interest.
“I always believe the best person will win the award. At this level of competition, it can go both ways. I was nominated by the university for my scientific contribution to water resource management in South Africa over the past 10 years, with special reference to the field of passive wastewater treatment,” says Prof Oberholster.

Although this is the first time that he has been nominated for the NSTF-Water Research Commission Award, Prof Oberholster has previously been nominated in the Innovation category.

Prof Oberholster, whose research focus area is the use of freshwater algae to treat acid mine drainage or domestic wastewater, has previously also won the Excellence Award: CSIR:NRE Outstanding team contribution: Project Leader: Coal tech, WRC and SANBI, Wetland restoration project; and the Excellence Award: CSIR:NRE Innovation: Algae technology for sewage treatment in South African rural areas.

Innovative technology 

This innovative, low-cost green technology assists in the effective and efficient removal of nutrients and bacteria in effluents discharged from wastewater treatment works to improve human health risk, create economic opportunities, and protect downstream ecosystem services. This technology is currently being rolled out to other SADC countries by the African Development Bank. In the case of acid mine drainage treatment, the technology provides a ‘walk-away’ solution for the mining industry. These systems are largely self-sustainable, using no electricity or chemicals, and can be maintained by a semi-skilled workforce.

Prof Pretorius, who has extensive expertise in diseases of field crops – more specifically the rust diseases of small grain cereal crops, has recently been awarded Honorary Membership by the Southern African Plant Breeders’ Association (SAPBA). His colleague, Prof Liezel Herselman, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, was presented with a Fellow Award.

• A new, specially arranged virtual Awards Gala Event will be livestreamed on Thursday, 30 July 2020 at 18:45 for 19:00 until 20:30 to honour the finalists and announce the winners.

News Archive

Fracking in the Karoo has advantages and disadvantages
2012-05-25

 

Dr Danie Vermeulen
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar
25 May 2012

Fracking for shale gas in the Karoo was laid bare during a public lecture by Dr Danie Vermeulen, Director of the Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS). He shared facts, figures and research with his audience. No “yes” or “no” vote was cast. The audience was left to decide for itself.

The exploitation of shale gas in the pristine Karoo has probably been one of the most debated issues in South Africa since 2011.
 
Dr Vermeulen’s lecture, “The shale gas story in the Karoo: both sides of the coin”, was the first in a series presented by the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science under the theme “Sustainability”. Dr Vermeulen is a trained geo-hydrologist and geologist. He has been involved in fracking in South Africa since the debate started. He went on a study tour to the USA in 2011 to learn more about fracking and he visited the USA to further his investigation in May 2012.
 
Some of the information he shared, includes:

- It is estimated that South Africa has the fifth-largest shale-gas reserves in the world, following on China, the USA, Argentina and Mexico.
- Flow-back water is stored in sealed tanks and not in flow-back dams.
- Fracturing will not contaminate the water in an area, as the drilling of the wells will go far deeper than the groundwater aquifers. Every well has four steel casings – one within the other – with the gaps between them sealed with cement.
- More than a million hydraulic fracturing simulations took place in the USA without compromising fresh groundwater. The surface activities can cause problems because that is where man-made and managerial operations could cause pollution.
- Water use for shale-gas exploration is lower than for other kinds of energy, but the fact that the Karoo is an arid region makes the use of groundwater a sensitive issue. Dr Vermeulen highlighted this aspect as his major concern regarding shale-gas exploration.
- The cost to develop is a quarter of the cost for an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Dolerite intrusions in the Karoo are an unresearched concern. Dolerite is unique to the South African situation. Dolerite intrusion temperatures exceed 900 °C.

He also addressed the shale-gas footprint, well decommissioning and site reclamation, radio activity in the shale and the low possibility of seismic events.
 
Dr Vermeulen said South Africa is a net importer of energy. About 90% of its power supply is coal-based. For continued economic growth, South Africa needs a stable energy supply. It is also forecast that energy demand in South Africa is growing faster than the average global demand.
 
Unknowns to be addressed in research and exploration are the gas reserves and gas needs of South Africa. Do we have enough water? What will be the visual and social impact? Who must do the exploration?
 
“Only exploration will give us these answers,” Dr Vermeulen said.

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