Sasol Achieves Milestone With Certified Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production At Natref Facility

A drone view shows the Sasol petrochemical refinery in Sasolburg, southwest of Johannesburg. Image credit: Reuters/Thando Hlophe/File Photo

Sasol's SAF, produced from cooking oil and vegetable oil at the company's 108,500 barrels per day Natref plant, was granted ISCC Plus sustainability certification by Germany's TUV SUD.

The agency also certified sustainable chemicals produced at Sasol's sister Secunda complex, Sasol said.

"South Africa has a lot of used cooking oil which is being collected, taken to Durban and exported to Rotterdam in the EU, and they make it (SAF) there," Sarushen Pillay, Sasol's VP strategy and technology, told Reuters.

"Now, we will be able to make it in South Africa."

He did not say when Sasol hoped to start exports to the EU.

The US-Israeli war with Iran has severely crimped jet fuel supplies globally, with the EU among the worst hit regions as skyrocketing prices and dwindling stocks hit airlines ahead of a potentially catastrophic summer tourism season.

Depending on customer demand, crude oil-dependent Natref, which is converting to a hybrid bio-refinery, is targeting one to two million litres this year, around 16 million in 2027, and up to 100 million litres by 2030, as Sasol aims to reduce its carbon footprint and readies for new, cleaner fuel specifications.

"If we include Secunda, then we are looking at 200 million litres of SAF by 2030," Pillay said.

Sasol, one of Africa's worst industrial polluters, has also partnered with Anglo American and De Beers to use plants such as Solaris crops, which have high oil yield, to develop a biolipid feedstock for its overall SAF production portfolio.