On March 9, the Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion (GIEC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa held a virtual signing ceremony to officially sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking the substantive launch of their collaboration.

Prof. Lyu Jiancheng, Director General of GIEC, and Dr. Sandile Malinga, Group Executive of the Smart Society division at CSIR, signed on behalf of their respective institutions. The ceremony was joined by representatives from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in South Africa.

Building on initial discussions at the 8th G-STIC Conference in October 2025, both sides have identified shared priorities including Power-to-X technologies, renewable energy system integration, advanced energy storage, biomass utilization, CCUS and offshore energy. Under the MOU, GIEC and CSIR will carry out joint research, capacity building, and industrial demonstration activities, creating an integrated "research–demonstration–industry" collaboration framework.

The partnership contributes to the Belt and Road Green Technology Initiative and supports the energy transition in China, South Africa, and beyond. Both institutes look forward to deepening cooperation and working together toward global sustainability.

Director General Prof. Lyu Jiancheng Signing the MOU on behalf of GIEC

Group photo of participants