A brighter horizon for sustainable aviation fuel: Sasol and Topsoe to form a future business to accelerate global SAF production

Sasol, the global chemicals and energy company, and Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, have signed a landmark agreement to establish a 50/50 joint venture (subject to approval by relevant authorities), solidifying their commitment to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and contribute to global efforts in combating climate change.  

Global mobility connecting people, cultures and businesses across continents allows progress and freedom, but it also comes with the challenge of carbon emissions. The aviation sector alone contributes 2-3% of global carbon emissions. Sustainable aviation fuels decarbonising air transport are called for globally by industry and regulators. The future joint venture will ‘go beyond’ the unique combination of technologies, capabilities, and deep industry experience to lay the foundation to ‘go beyond’ in the production scaling of sustainable aviation fuels. 

The purpose of the Sasol Topsoe JV is to develop, build, own, and operate sustainable aviation fuel plants, and market sustainable aviation fuels derived primarily from non-fossil feedstock, utilising green hydrogen, sustainable sources of CO2 and/or biomass with a specific focus on Sasol’s Fischer Tropsch and Topsoe’s related technologies. Together, this proven partnership intends to bring future-proof solutions to the market. 

"Sasol is delighted to join forces with Topsoe, furthering our global sustainable aviation fuel aspiration. This is an important milestone in advancing our long-term strategy to become net zero by 2050. As we transform our business to focus on decarbonisation while preserving and growing value, this JV is testament to the decades of collaboration between our two companies,” says Fleetwood Grobler, Sasol President and CEO, highlighted the long-term ambitions of Sasol in sustainable aviation fuel.  

Adds Roeland Baan, CEO at Topsoe, expressing his enthusiasm for this milestone: “As part of our proven partnership, this future business is an important moment of progress at a critical time. We need to keep the world open by creating more sustainable ways of flying, and our shared commitment to accelerating sustainable aviation fuels is a vital part of this. We believe no one is better placed than the company formed by Sasol and Topsoe to deliver the means to scale SAF production”.