Phelan Green selects Johnson Matthey for eSAF plant in South Africa
- Project investment expected at R47 billion (over £2 billion).
- Construction in Saldanha Bay is expected to begin by the end of 2026.
- Phase 1 target output is around 35,000 tonnes of eSAF per year, intended for EU/UK markets and equivalent to up to 6% of EU/UK mandated eSAF volumes for 2030.
- Full project across all phases is expected to supply about 140,000 tonnes of eSAF annually.
Deal and project scope
Phelan Green Hydrogen has licensed technologies from Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies for a planned electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) facility in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape. The project is part of the wider Phelan Green Hydrogen Project with expected investment of R47 billion (more than £2 billion).
Technology
Johnson Matthey’s HyCOgen™ technology converts CO₂ and electrolytic (green) hydrogen into carbon monoxide, which is combined with additional hydrogen to form syngas. HyCOgen integrates with FT CANS™ technology, jointly developed and co-owned by JM and bp, to convert syngas into synthetic crude oil that will be upgraded to produce synthetic paraffinic fuel.
Capacity and timeline
Construction of the facility is expected to begin by the end of 2026. The licence win covers the first phase, which is expected to produce around 35,000 tonnes of eSAF per year for sale into EU/UK markets, equivalent to producing up to 6% of the EU and UK’s mandated eSAF volumes for 2030. Once all phases are complete the facility is expected to supply around 140,000 tonnes of eSAF annually.
Source: Johnson Matthey