Phelan Green Hydrogen announced it has secured technology licenses from Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies (JM CT) for its future electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) plant in the Western Cape province, South Africa.
The facility will be part of the comprehensive green hydrogen project that the company is developing in Saldanha Bay.
The company expects to begin construction of the plant in late 2026. The project involves an estimated total investment of 47 billion rand and seeks to position South Africa as a new producer of sustainable fuels for the aviation sector.
The plant will supply the European and UK markets
The first phase of the project will have the capacity to produce approximately 35,000 tonnes per year of sustainable aviation fuel, primarily destined for the European Union and United Kingdom markets.
According to company estimates, this volume could represent up to 6% of the eSAF demand required by European and British regulations planned for 2030.
Once all development stages are completed, the facility will reach a total capacity of nearly 140,000 tonnes per year, consolidating its position among the largest projects of its kind on the African continent.
Technologies to transform CO₂ and green hydrogen
The project will utilize Johnson Matthey’s HyCOgen™ technology, a catalytic process that converts carbon dioxide and green hydrogen into carbon monoxide. This compound is subsequently combined with additional hydrogen to produce synthesis gas.
The solution will be integrated with FT CANS™ technology, jointly developed by Johnson Matthey and bp, which transforms synthesis gas into synthetic crude. This product will then be refined to obtain synthetic paraffinic kerosene for the aviation sector.
The combination of both technologies seeks to optimize process efficiency and facilitate the production of fuels with a lower carbon footprint.
A strategic project for the eSAF industry
Alberto Giovanzana, Managing Director of Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies, highlighted that the plant will be one of the world’s first large-scale commercial eSAF facilities and will mark the first deployment of HyCOgen and FT CANS technologies in Africa.
For his part, Blair Phelan, CEO of Phelan Green Group, stated that securing the licenses completes the project’s technological foundation and allows progress toward the next phase of development.
The initiative is part of the growing international interest in expanding the production of sustainable aviation fuels, a technology considered key to reducing emissions from air transport and meeting decarbonization goals established by governments and international organizations.
Source and photo: https://matthey.com/
