South African integrated energy company Sasol and Antarctic expedition operator White Desert on Tuesday announced a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) partnership, marking a step towards the development of lower-carbon fuels for aviation in South Africa.
The agreement, announced at the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit, will see Sasol supply its first commercial volumes of SAF to White Desert for its Cape Town-to-Antarctica expeditions.
The partnership brings together Sasol’s technical expertise and White Desert’s aviation fuel demand as the companies seek to develop lower-carbon solutions for aviation, they said.
The agreement follows the recent ISCC+ sustainability certification of Natref, Sasol’s refinery in South Africa, which the company said would support the production and supply of sustainable fuels.
Dr Sarushen Pillay, Sasol’s executive vice president for business building, strategy and technology, said the partnership demonstrated South Africa’s ability to develop commercial applications for lower-carbon fuels.
“Through our partnership with White Desert, we are demonstrating how sustainable fuels can move from ambition to commercial reality,” Pillay said.
The SAF supplied under the agreement is produced from sustainable bio-feedstocks and could provide a pathway towards future e-fuels produced using green hydrogen, Sasol said.
The company said such value chains could create industrial opportunities while supporting energy security, competitiveness and efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
White Desert, which operates luxury Antarctic expeditions from Cape Town, will use the SAF for flights between South Africa and Antarctica.
“It is incredible to now be able to source sustainable fuel in South Africa, made locally and with real carbon emission reductions. We are excited to be using this for our flights to Antarctica and being at the forefront of getting to net zero,” Patrick Woodhead, chief executive and founder of White Desert.
Speaking about Sasol’s broader SAF strategy, Pillay said the transition to lower-carbon aviation fuels would require the conversion of existing industrial infrastructure.
“We do not decarbonise aviation by abandoning existing industrial assets, but by transforming them. South Africa has the fuels infrastructure, technical capability and export relationships needed to participate meaningfully in this market,” he said.
“Bio-SAF is the first proof point of that conversion, and a bridge to the e-fuels economy that follows.”
“This is an exciting milestone for South Africa, for aviation and for the future of sustainable fuels,” Pillay said.
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