ResearchSpace

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Welcome to ResearchSpace, the institutional repository of the CSIR. ResearchSpace is an open access electronic archive collecting, preserving and distributing scholarly digital materials created by the CSIR.

Recent Submissions

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A Retrospective on South Africa’s Student Cluster Competition and its Model for Inclusive HPC Outreach and Training (2012-2020)

(2026-03) Johnston, Bryan J; Thorne, N; Cawood, M; De Beste, E; Macleod, David N; John Poole, J

The Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) is South Africa's national supercomputing facility. In 2012, it launched an outreach initiative to raise awareness of High-Performance Computing (HPC) among undergraduate students through the creation of the Student Cluster Competition (SCC). A national contest was designed to train and showcase student talent in a spirited, hands-on environment. The initial stage of the CHPC SCC saw twenty teams of four undergraduate students undergo an intensive week of HPC training, covering Linux fundamentals, cluster design, and system administration. Finalists from this selection round would then compete in a live challenge using HPC systems of their own design, with the top competitors selected to represent the CHPC at the International Student Cluster Competition hosted at the ISC High Performance conference in Germany. From its inception, the CHPC SCC has prioritised demographic diversity and equal opportunity, actively recruiting students from historically disadvantaged communities to ensure inclusive participation and representation. A rapid teaching framework was developed to address key knowledge gaps in HPC system design, administration, and optimisation: the empowerment of students with limited prior exposure in the field of HPC to excel. This approach has proven highly effective: South African teams ranked in the top three internationally for eight consecutive years, demonstrating the strength of the program. This paper presents the strategy and structure behind the CHPC SCC, detailing the training model, selection process, and evaluation methods used for both national and international rounds. It highlights how the initiative has evolved into a recognised platform for HPC education, enabling students to learn about HPC and become global contenders in the field.

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Application of engineering management principles to energy systems modelling projects

(2025-07) Lomko, Kabelo D; Eboule, PP; Pretorius, J-H

This paper investigates how the integration of engineering management principles can enhance the efficiency, robustness, and impact of energy systems modelling projects. Using South Africa’s evolving electricity sector as a contextual anchor—marked by a legacy dependence on coal and a recent increase in renewable energy deployment—the study addresses persistent challenges in energy systems modelling projects, including data quality limitations, technical complexity, and stakeholder misalignment. The study suggests that these challenges can be mitigated through a structured application of engineering management principles across the energy systems modelling project lifecycle. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study synthesizes quantitative and qualitative insights from 55 energy sector professionals. The findings reveal widespread support for a formalized framework and highlight the critical role of project planning, risk management, systems thinking, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. Together, these principles offer a cohesive strategy for bridging the gap between technical modelling activities and effective managerial execution in support of sustainable energy planning.

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Editorial: Framing extreme weather and climate: Anomalous meteorological events (AMEs)

(2026-03) Sweijd, N; Sarvajayakesavalu, S; Charlotte McBride, C; John, Juanette

In May of 2024, a set of researchers, practitioners and officials gathered in Stellenbosch, South Africa to confer on Integrated responses to the intensification of extreme climate and weather events in developing economies. The event, co-sponsored by the Government of South Africa, the Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-Aligned & other Developing Countries, the Scientific Committee on Problems in the Environment (SCOPE) and Stellenbosch University, was attended by over 100 delegates from 11 different countries. As one of the outcomes of this meeting, Environmental Development has produced a series of peer-reviewed research papers emanating from the meeting presentations. Key points that emerged from discussions at the event are noted, followed by the features of this Special Issue. The phrases “Extreme Climate Events” or “Extreme Weather Events” are now common parlance in the field of climate research. However, to address the growing need to understand and manage these phenomena, it is essential to clearly define and specify this terminology, ensuring that we have agreement on how new knowledge in this area is acquired and applied.

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Quantifying the extent and rates of change in wetland ecosystem functional groups in the Maputaland Coastal Plain of South Africa

(2026-05) Van Deventer, Heidi; Apleni, P; Naidoo, L; Tsele, P

Despite global concerns highlighting the threats to wetlands, monitoring and quantifying changes in palustrine wetland ecosystem extent remains inadequate. The feasibility of mapping the extent and rates of change of wetland Ecosystem Functional Groups (EFGs) in the Maputaland Coastal Plain, South Africa, using Earth Observation (EO) was evaluated. Seven wetland EFGs were mapped, including two estuarine (Coastal saltmarshes, and Intertidal forests and shrublands (mangroves)) and five freshwater EFGs (Lacustrine wetlands and palustrine wetlands: Large macrophytes, Permanent marshes, Seasonal marshes, and Subtropical-temperate forested wetlands). Changes in their extent were quantified across seven epochs across a 32-year period (1990–2022), including three above-average rainfall years (2000, 2006, and 2022), and four years that corresponded with the South African National Land Cover datasets (SANLCs: 1990, 2014, 2018, and 2020). Landsat images between 1990 and 2014 and a combination of Sentinel-1 and -2 images between 2018 and 2022 were modelled with a Random Forest classifier using EFG reference spectra informed by fieldwork. The classifications achieved overall accuracies between 78% and 87%, with user accuracies of the EFGs ≥ 73% for all years. Over the last 32 years, 53% of the extent of wetland EFGs remained unchanged, whereas 35% experienced interclass transformation and 8% were converted to anthropogenic pressures (5% speckle ignored). Four of the wetland EFGs showed an annual decline of 1% to 3%. Projections indicate that, under current conditions, four EFGs could face total collapse by 2050, with Intertidal forests and shrublands at the highest risk. The findings highlight the need for enhanced EO-based monitoring and protective measures to preserve wetland biodiversity and its ecosystem services.

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A review of feedstock diversification for methanol production: From fossil fuels to renewable resources

(2026-03) Reddy, Trishen; Seodigeng, T

Methanol is a critical platform chemical and an increasingly important energy carrier. While global production is currently dominated by fossil-based pathways primarily natural gas (average 65%) and coal (average 35%), there is however an urgent industrial mandate to decarbonize the supply chain. This review provides a rigorous quantitative evaluation of conventional and emerging carbonaceous feedstocks, including biomass, agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, and captured carbon dioxide (CO2). Quantitative analysis reveals that while traditional biogas offers methane concentrations averaging 50–80%, emerging substrates can also provide superior methane yields. A significant contribution of this work is the integration of the latest 2025 findings on semolina processing waste, which demonstrates a high-hydrogen (H2) potential (average 23.0% H2) for biomethanol synthesis. Furthermore, the paper delves into the relevance of process intensification, identifying membrane reactor technology as a primary solution to thermodynamic equilibrium constraints. By addressing critical technical hurdles such as membrane fouling often cited as a major barrier to the 0.2% renewable share in global supply. This review serves as a vital roadmap for industries aiming to transition toward carbon-negative methanol production and enhanced energy resilience.