l The “CTO, CTL, SNG & Green H2 Coupling Forum 2026” will be held by ASIACHEM Consulting in Urumqi, China on June 11–12, 2026.
l Executives and experts from Sasol will deliver a presentation titled: “The Outlook for Green Hydrogen-Coupled F-T Synthesis: Sasol’s Commercialization Rationale and Practices for SAF.”
South African energy and chemical company Sasol is accelerating its shift from traditional coal-to-liquids operations toward sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and lower carbon chemicals. Its core assets include the Secunda complex, which uses Fischer Tropsch (FT) technology for coal to liquids production, and the Natref refinery, a joint venture with TotalEnergies.
In April 2026, the Natref refinery underwent an audit by TÜV SÜD and obtained ISCC PLUS product sustainability certification, becoming the first refinery in Africa to secure this type of certification for key fuel production pathways. The certification covers the co processing of used cooking oil (UCO) and vegetable oils with fossil feedstocks to produce SAF and renewable diesel. SAF produced from waste oils can achieve significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional fossil jet fuel, meeting current sustainability and emissions reduction requirements in markets such as the European Union. The certification provides Sasol with a compliance basis for accessing EU and other high standard, premium markets and confirms the technical feasibility of introducing renewable feedstocks into existing refinery infrastructure with limited modifications.
On the SAF capacity side, Sasol has laid out a relatively clear scale up plan. Leveraging decades of FT experience, the Secunda Operations facility can produce semi synthetic jet fuel components (Jet A 1) in line with ASTM D7566 specifications, with blending ratios of up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel. The company plans to achieve approximately 1–2 million liters of initial commercial SAF deliveries in 2026, primarily targeting early adopter markets where regulations or pricing schemes incentivize emissions reductions. By 2027, Sasol expects to increase annual SAF supply to around 16 million liters. Looking to 2030 and beyond, based on further technical upgrades at Secunda, expanded co processing at Natref, and more diversified renewable feedstock options, the company estimates a potential SAF production capacity approaching 200 million liters per year.
As one of the world’s largest single coal to liquids and synthetic fuel complexes, Secunda is also Sasol’s asset under the greatest decarbonization pressure. To address rising carbon tax levels in South Africa and tightening global supply chain emissions constraints, the company is pursuing multiple emissions reduction measures. On the power side, Sasol and long term partner Air Liquide have signed a series of long term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with several renewable energy developers. These agreements are bringing several hundred megawatts of wind and solar capacity online to supply green electricity to Secunda’s air separation units and selected process loads. The overall target is in the range of 700 megawatts, with an objective of cutting related carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 30 to 40 percent by around 2030.
On the feedstock and process side, Sasol is gradually reducing its absolute reliance on coal by increasing the share of lower carbon feedstocks such as natural gas and by piloting biomass co firing. In parallel, the company has outlined medium to long term project directions under concepts such as “ecoFT,” which aim to utilize high concentration process CO₂ streams from Secunda in combination with externally sourced renewable hydrogen (green hydrogen). The goal is to develop e fuels and SAF based on CO₂+H₂ routes, building a new synthetic fuels platform on top of existing FT reactors and downstream processing units.
Through ISCC+ certification at Natref, SAF technology readiness and phased capacity planning at Secunda, and ongoing efforts in green power sourcing and process restructuring, Sasol is progressively reorienting its traditional coal based and refining assets toward sustainable fuels and lower carbon chemicals, laying a foundation for future large scale SAF supply and e fuels development.
Conference Speaker Lineup:
The Strait of Hormuz and the Changing Landscape of International Oil Supply and Demand
— AsiaChem Consulting (Confirmed)
CTO and Downstream Product Economic Analysis
— Wison Engineering (China) Co., Ltd. (Confirmed)
Clean and Efficient Utilization of Coal and Green & Low-Carbon Development in Coal-to-Olefins Projects
— CHN Energy Xinjiang Chemical Co., Ltd. (Confirmed)
Green Hydrogen Substitution Driving Energy & Chemical Industry Transformation
— Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (Confirmed)
Key Technologies and Demonstration Project Progress in Coal Chemical & Green Hydrogen Coupling — National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy (Confirmed)
Industrial Technology for Green Production of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Catalysts
— Synfuels China Technology Co., Ltd. (Confirmed)
Large-Scale Green Hydrogen Application and Project Analysis
— China Energy Engineering Group (Confirmed)
Latest Developments in DMTO Technology and Catalysts
— Zhongke Catalytic New Technology (Dalian) Co., Ltd. (Confirmed)
Industrial Practice of Coal-to-Methanol Coupled with Green Hydrogen
— China TCC Engineering Corporation (To be confirmed)
Application and Upgrading of Coal Gasification Technology in Xinjiang Coal-to-SNG Projects
— Sedin Engineering Company Limited (To be confirmed)
Progress and Cost Analysis of Wind/Solar Green Power & PEM Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Technology
— AsiaChem Consulting (Confirmed)
Key Points of Environmental Management for Modern Coal Chemical Projects & Analysis on Development Trends During the 15th Five-Year Plan Period
— Environmental Engineering Assessment Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (Confirmed)
Green Hydrogen coupled Fischer-Tropsch: Sasol SAF Commercialization Outlook & Practice
— Sasol (Confirmed)
