The University signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 2 February with Sustainalutions, launching what is believed to be the first African university-led research and demonstration initiative focused on thermal hydrolysis process technology for wastewater sludge beneficiation.
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Clockwise from back left, Sustainalutions Director Austin Turner, Nelson Mandela University Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Internationalisation Professor Azwinndini Muronga, Faculty of Science Executive Dean Professor Christa Grobler and Sustainalutions Director Alec Prieto Picture: Michael Sheehan
The partnership, signed at the Faculty of Science on South Campus in Summerstrand, positions Nelson Mandela University as the regional scientific anchor, leading the charge in applying globally proven technologies to solve local infrastructure, agricultural and energy challenges.
Signing for impact
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Internationalisation Professor Azwinndini Muronga positioned the partnership as central to the University's mission of delivering transformative research with societal impact.
"By signing this MoU, we are signing for impact – socio-economic and environmental impact" Prof Muronga said. "You may not realise what you have started, but you are helping the University to fulfil its mission of being an institution in service of society. Ubuntu is in our DNA. We will look back on this 50 years from now."
The University’s vision to be a dynamic African institution making continental impact found expression in the partnership, he said, noting that the institution's researchers and talent pool positioned it uniquely to drive this work forward.
Turning a hidden crisis into opportunity
The partnership tackles a challenge that Sustainalutions Director Alec Prieto said “kind of creeps under the radar” – the disposal and management of sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants.
“We believe we've found the winning formula to solve this: a technology that transforms sludge into renewable energy and organic fertiliser while reducing wastewater treatment plant expenditures,” he said. “The goal for the solution we’re developing is to transform sludge from being a liability into a net-positive asset."
The solution centres on thermal hydrolysis process technology, supplied globally by Norwegian company Cambi and deployed in close to 100 facilities worldwide. Through high-temperature, high-pressure treatment, sludge is processed before anaerobic digestion, significantly increasing biogas yields and producing a Class A pathogen-free biosolid suitable for commercial sale as organic fertiliser.
For the Eastern Cape – a province producing 82% of South Africa's pineapples but where farmers often struggle with fertiliser costs and unreliable electricity – the potential impact is substantial.
Nelson Mandela University as regional anchor
Nelson Mandela University will lead sample collection, local modelling, agronomic studies and techno-economic feasibility work for the Eastern Cape. The University of KwaZulu-Natal will provide specialist laboratory analysis through its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Centre, with data feeding into Nelson Mandela University’s decision-making framework.
Prof Tshentu sees massive potential to increase employment and business opportunities across sectors. “In addition, the more affordable biofertiliser creates opportunities for emerging small farmers, and there is the possibility to create social agrizones.”
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Joseph Tsatsire committed the metro to supporting the partnership.
“We are a city that has a number of challenges, especially from a sludge management perspective, and we require some of these innovations,” Tsatsire said. "The collaboration will not only strengthen our sludge solutions, but also foster community resilience as well as environmental stewardship within our communities.”
Evidence-based deployment
Based on international operational data, a small-scale system processing 25 tonnes of sludge per day could generate up to 7 GWh of electricity and approximately 9,000 tonnes of fertiliser annually.
Larger regional sludge centres could produce between 25 and 52 GWh of electricity and 35,000 to 72,000 tonnes of fertiliser per year.
Nelson Mandela University will refine these projections through local data collection, laboratory testing and modelling over the next 12 months. The partners will engage with municipal stakeholders and identify suitable sites for potential implementation.
Sustainalutions Director Austin Turner said once a site and project scope were confirmed, deployment could take between two and five years – “significantly faster than many comparable infrastructure projects, but it must be guided by robust data and proper engagement.”
Faculty of Science Executive Dean Professor Christa Grobler said the partnership aligned perfectly with the University's mission as a student-centric institution focused on transformative research and societal impact.
" Each of us has a limited impact, but together we are so much more: from the Faculty of Science, we are here as your team members," Prof Grobler said.
Professor Hendrik Lloyd, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences noted the project spoke directly to environmental, social and governance principles, development finance theory and the circular economy – all central to the faculty's research themes.
Prof Zenixole Tshentu, Acting Deputy Dean of Science at Nelson Mandela University, who has been working with Sustainalutions since March 2025, emphasised the University's critical role in ensuring rigorous, locally grounded science underpinned any future deployment.
"Our engineers at eNtsa are ready to interface with this process at any stage where local engineering solutions are needed," Prof Tshentu said. "It is about putting a plan in place that uses our scientific expertise to ensure the work is sound, carefully measured and useful for the entire province."
The partnership positions Nelson Mandela University not merely as an observer of the green energy transition, but as the architect of evidence-based, locally relevant solutions that could be replicated across the African continent.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Internationalisation Professor Azwinndini Muronga positioned the partnership as central to the University's mission of delivering transformative research with societal impact.
"By signing this MoU, we are signing for impact – socio-economic and environmental impact" Prof Muronga said. "You may not realise what you have started, but you are helping the University to fulfil its mission of being an institution in service of society. Ubuntu is in our DNA. We will look back on this 50 years from now."
The University’s vision to be a dynamic African institution making continental impact found expression in the partnership, he said, noting that the institution's researchers and talent pool positioned it uniquely to drive this work forward.