The Story of PAUL – Africa’s First Underground Laboratory
Shaun Wyngaardt
Department of Physics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Abstract: Underground laboratories have transformed modern physics by providing the ultra-low background environments required to investigate some of the most profound questions in science, including the nature of dark matter, neutrino properties, rare nuclear processes, and the development of next-generation quantum sensors. While Europe, North America and Asia host several world-leading underground research facilities, Africa has until now remained absent from this global scientific landscape.
This seminar presents the story of the Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory (PAUL), a visionary initiative to establish Africa’s first underground multidisciplinary research facility beneath the Huguenot Tunnel in the Western Cape of South Africa. Beginning with the historical development of underground science, including the pioneering neutrino experiment of Frederick Reines and the unique South African connection through Friedel Sellschop, the presentation traces the evolution of the original South African Underground Laboratory (SAUL) concept into the internationally supported PAUL programme.
The seminar describes the scientific motivation for PAUL, highlighting its research opportunities in astroparticle physics, ultra-low radioactivity measurements, radiation biology, environmental radioactivity, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and advanced detector development. Particular emphasis will be placed on the technical feasibility studies undertaken over the past three years, including muon tomography for geological characterisation, neutron background measurements, Monte Carlo simulations, engineering design studies, and the selection of an optimal underground laboratory site.
Beyond the scientific programme, the presentation illustrates how PAUL has evolved into a strategic international collaboration linking African institutions with leading European underground laboratories, including CNRS (France), INFN-LNGS (Italy), and the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc (Spain). These partnerships have enabled technology transfer, researcher mobility, human-capital development, and the establishment of the EU Horizon Europe NEXUS Staff Exchange programme, positioning PAUL as a catalyst for scientific capacity building across Africa.
The seminar concludes by outlining the next phase of the project, including infrastructure development, governance, and future opportunities for international collaboration. PAUL represents far more than a new research facility; it is a long-term investment in African scientific excellence and an opportunity to integrate the continent into the global underground science community while addressing some of the most fundamental questions in contemporary physics.
Seminar takes place on Monday, October 5th 2026 at 10:00 AM
in the IEAP conference center, Praha 1, Husova 240/5.
| Ing. Bartoloměj Biskup, Ph.D. seminar chair |
doc. Ing. Ivan Štekl, CSc. director of IEAP |
doc. Dr. André Sopczak IEEE CS - NPSS chair |
NUCLEAR & PLASMA SCIENCES SOCIETY CHAPTER
IEEE Czechoslovakia section
https://www.ieee.cz/main/section/nps/