Johnson Matthey lands role in South Africa eSAF project

Phelan Green Hydrogen has licensed Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies for a planned electro sustainable aviation fuel plant in South Africa’s Western Cape. The project is expected to be among the world’s first commercial-scale eSAF facilities and could supply fuel for EU and UK aviation mandates. Why it matters: - Phelan Green Hydrogen’s planned eSAF facility is positioned as one of the first commercial-scale projects of its kind, a sign that synthetic aviation fuel production is moving from pilot stage toward industrial deployment. - The project targets EU and UK markets, where mandated eSAF demand is expected to rise by 2030. - Once fully built, the plant is expected to produce about 140,000 tonnes of eSAF a year, creating one of the largest announced supply sources for the sector. What happened: - Phelan Green Hydrogen announced it has licensed Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies for the planned electro sustainable aviation fuel facility in Saldanha Bay in South Africa’s Western Cape. - The licence deal is the first phase of the broader Phelan Green Hydrogen Project. - Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2026. - The wider project carries expected investment of R47 billion, or more than £2 billion. The details: - The first phase is expected to produce around 35,000 tonnes of eSAF a year. - That output is intended for sale into the EU and UK markets. - The first phase would equal up to 6% of the EU and UK’s mandated eSAF volumes for 2030. - Johnson Matthey’s HyCOgen technology converts CO2 and electrolytic hydrogen into carbon monoxide, which is then turned into syngas. - HyCOgen integrates with FT CANS, a technology jointly developed and co-owned by Johnson Matthey and bp, to convert syngas into synthetic crude oil. - Honeywell’s FT Unicracking technology will upgrade that synthetic crude oil into synthetic paraffinic fuel. - Johnson Matthey said this is its first deployment of HyCOgen and FT CANS in Africa. Between the lines: - The technology stack combines carbon capture inputs, green hydrogen and several processing steps, which shows how many commercial partners are needed to bring eSAF to market at scale. - The project also reflects growing interest in South Africa as a hub for clean-fuels production tied to export markets. - Blair Phelan said the licensing and engineering agreements complete the project’s technology backbone and put the project in position to prove commercial-scale eSAF production in South Africa. - Alberto Giovanzana, chief executive of Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies, called the Western Cape project a landmark and said it signals that sustainable aviation fuel can scale now. What’s next: - Phelan Green expects to begin construction by the end of 2026. - The company plans to move through additional phases that would lift annual production to about 140,000 tonnes. - The first phase will be watched as a test of whether commercial-scale eSAF can be built, financed and operated for export to Europe.