International consortium to advance decarbonisation of the aviation sector

CARE-O-SENE research project will develop advanced catalysts for sustainable aviation fuels

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sasol (JSE: SOL, NYSE SSL) and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) will lead a consortium to develop and optimise next-generation catalysts that will play a key role in decarbonising the aviation sector through sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

At a ceremony at Sasol's global headquarters in Johannesburg today, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the launch of CARE-O-SENE (Catalyst Research for Sustainable Kerosene) research project, to be funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and Sasol.

Sasol joins forces with five other world-leading organisations in Germany and South Africa to accelerate the development of catalysts that are essential to produce green kerosene on a commercial scale through Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology.

"We are delighted to have been selected to lead this important project," said Fleetwood Grobler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sasol Limited. "Our expertise in FT technology and catalysts makes us the ideal partner to help Germany and the world decarbonise the aviation sector and make it sustainable over the long-term."

Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech, Scientific Managing Director of HZB adds, "CARE-O-SENE will enable us to accelerate innovation in a crucial field of green energy. This can only be achieved in a global partnership by deeply integrating fundamental research and technology development on an industry relevant scale."

Other CARE-O-SENE project partners include the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Cape Town, Department of Chemical Engineering (UCT) and INERATEC GmbH. The consortium expresses its sincere gratitude to the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for supporting these important efforts.

CARE-O-SENE will run for three years and pursues the goal of setting the course for large-scale commercialisation of green kerosene production by 2025 with its research on catalysts. Catalysts are used to speed up chemical reactions, increase the yield and improve the quality of refined products. The new FT catalysts are expected to increase the fuel yield of the process to over 80 percent, thereby optimising use of resources.

Unlike conventional kerosene derived from fossil feedstocks, SAF can be made from green hydrogen and sustainable carbon dioxide sources. Developing SAF is key to a sustainable decarbonisation of the hard-to-abate aviation industry, and the main lever for net zero aviation. The underlying technology to developing SAF at scale from green hydrogen and sustainable carbon sources is FT technology, in which Sasol has been a global leader for more than 70 years.

Issued by:

Alex Anderson, Head of Group Media Relations
Mobile +27 (0) 71 600 9605;
alex.anderson@sasol.com 

Matebello Motloung, Manager: Group Media Relations
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 773 9457
matebello.motloung@sasol.com

Other Press contacts:
Sunna Schulz, Senior Manager Corporate Affairs Eurasia Chemicals
Direct telephone: +49 40 63684-1364; Mobile: +49 152 0835 3881
sunna.schulz@de.sasol.com

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie
Silvia Zerbe, Manager Public Relations:
Direct telephone: +49 30 8042-42607
silvia.zerbe@helmholtz-berlin.de

About Sasol:

Sasol is a global chemicals and energy company. We harness our knowledge and expertise to integrate sophisticated technologies and processes into world-scale operating facilities. We safely and sustainably source, produce and market a range of high-quality products in 23 countries, creating value for stakeholders. Our purpose 'Innovating for a better world' compels us to deliver on triple bottom line outcomes of People, Planet and Profit, responsibly and always with the intent to be a force for good. We have prioritised five Sustainable Development Goals to ensure our business is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

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Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) researches solutions for a climate-neutral society. Scientist are developing and optimising efficient and cost-effective energy materials for solar cells, batteries and catalysts. With 1200 employees, HZB is one of Germany's largest non-university research centers in the field of energy research and is a member of the Helmholtz Association. More Information: www.helmholtz-berlin.de