International exchange continues: Sasol hosts German innovation officer in Sasolburg

Johannesburg, South Africa, 28 November 2022 Following the visit of the German Ambassador to South Africa Sasol Operations now hosted two more German envoys at the Sasolburg plant: Till Mansmann, Innovation Officer for Green Hydrogen at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and H.E. Enrico Brandt, Deputy German Ambassador.

Together they got an idea of the work being carried out as part of the CARE-O-SENE project. The aim of the project is to develop novel Fischer-Tropsch catalysts needed for the production of sustainable kerosene on an industrial scale.

Between the obligatory safety briefings and a joint tour of the plant, last Monday's visit was filled with topics such as sustainable aviation fuels, the importance of green hydrogen, and the innovative use of Sasol's many years of experience in Fischer-Tropsch technology. Dr Denzil Moodley, Senior Scientist at Sasol, gave an overview of the current state of research and technology around CARE-O-SENE.

The visit of Mansmann and Brandt to Sasolburg continues the international exchange between Germany and South Africa. The project will thus establish long-term, strategic cooperation partnerships that will also play an important role in the development of future projects in the field of green hydrogen use. 

For more information about the CARE-O-SENE project, please visit our FAQ page..

Partner-News: UCT-article about being part of CARE-O-SENE project

Professor Michael Claeys, director of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis at UCT’s Department of Chemical Engineering, talks about the project's goals and gives an outlook at what exactly the UCT's tasks will be.

Click here for the full article!

New study on Manganese promotion presented at South African catalysis conference

Cooperation between Sasol and the University of Cape Town brings new insights on the use of manganese to improve selectivity and overall activity in FTS

During the annual CATSA conference on 13-16th November 2022 in Drakensburg, South Africa, Sasol’s Vincent Vermaak will present a joint paper with the Catalysis Institute at the University of Cape Town on “Lift-off to sustainable aviation fuels: Optimization of Fischer-Tropsch performance with Manganese promotion”. CATSA annual conferences are one of the most popular series of conferences in South Africa, in the field of catalysis, which brings together experts from across the world to discuss, disseminate information and share ideas on advancing the field of catalysis. The conferences have now grown to well over 250 people with increased international participation. The study presented is part of the initial phase of the CARE-O-SENE consortium between South African and German industrial and institutional partners towards a decarbonised future and aimed to i) review and consolidate the prevailing view on the role on Manganese promotion based on past studies and ii) investigate the impact of and optimize the Manganese loading for selectivity and activity. The addition of a small amount of Manganese improves long-chain hydrocarbon selectivity and overall activity by facilitating oxygen removal from the surface, and/or reducing cobalt particle size. Manganese is also an interesting choice due to more than 70% of the known global reserves finding their origin in South Africa. Vincent joined Sasol in February 2022 as part of the Scientist in Training (SIT) program. In previous years, Vincent has worked at Sasol twice as a student, among other things, researching in catalyst development for hydrogenation.

Change NOW

How CARE-O-SENE contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Under the motto"Together for just, ambitious implementation NOW" the United Nations will meet for the Climate Change Conference in Sharm ash-Shaykh, Egypt, from November 7th to 18th, 2022. Seven years earlier, the 193 member states met to prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development, they unanimously adopted the so-called Sustainable Development Goals 2030 - also known as the 2030 Agenda.The 17 goals are intended to ensure global sustainable development on an ecological, social and economic level.

Among the goals is SDG 13, according to which immediate action must be taken to combat climate change and its impact. But how can such measures be implemented, for example in sectors for which there is no optimal alternative to fossil fuels so far?

With 2.14 million tonnes of CO₂emissions for domestic flights in Germany alone (2019),[1] the aviation sector is one of the major greenhouse gas emitters. At the same time, aviation will continue to rely on jet fuel as an energy source in the long term. This is why sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are of particular importance as an alternative: they are considered forward-looking for sustainable and decarbonised aviation and thus directly contribute to SDG 13. But at present SAF cannot yet sufficiently meet global jet fuel demand. The reasons for this are, for example, the availability of green electricity and hydrogen, suitable market conditions and appropriate facilities for production on an industrial scale. Innovations are therefore needed in this area, which make an important contribution to achieving the sustainability goals. One of these is the recently launched CARE-O-SENE research project. For the linchpin of CARE-O-SENE research is to develop and optimise catalysts that are needed for the mass production of SAF Through CARE-O-SENE, climate protection goals can be achieved despite the continued high demand for transport.

Supported by economy and politics, the seven German and South African project partners are also building long-term, strategic cooperation partnerships. This is precisely what SDG 17 also aims to do by building global partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. CARE-O-SENE brings together various international companies and institutes and creates a comprehensive knowledge and technology transfer between industry and science. These partnerships will also play an important role in the development of future projects in the field of green hydrogen use. This is because the project is an important part of the German "National Hydrogen Strategy" and the first hydrogen project in which a worldwide problem is being tackled in a global cooperation. In this lighthouse project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) all project partners are contributing their expertise in the development, testing and commercialisation of catalysts, building knowledge and working together on a global challenge.

[1]   Calculations from surveys by the Federal Environment Agency and the German Aerospace Centre:
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/umwelttipps-fuer-den-alltag/mobilitaet/flugreisen#unsere-tipps
https://www.dlr.de/content/de/artikel/forschung/personenverkehr-in-deutschland-verkehrsmittel-im-vergleich.html

Strong partnership: German Ambassador visits Sasol Operations in Sasolburg

Germany and South Africa continue their international exchange in the development of sustainable aviation fuels.

Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 October 2022 – Sasol Operations welcomed German Ambassador to South Africa, H.E. Andreas Peschke, in Sasolburg. His visit is a further part of the partnership between Germany and South Africa to decarbonise the aviation sector within the framework of the CARE-O-SENE project. The aim of the project is to develop novel Fischer-Tropsch catalysts needed for the production of sustainable aviation fuel on an industrial scale.

Recently, Germany provided 30 million euros for the research project through the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In addition, the industrial consortium partners are contributing 10 million euros.

Ambassador Peschke explains: "The CARE-O-SENE project, which was symbolically launched by the South African President and the German Chancellor on 24 May, is our largest cooperation project with a significant investment by the German government. The use of renewable kerosene in aviation is an important building block on the way to a green and clean future."

"Testing of the CARE-O-SENE catalyst will take place in Sasolburg, where our company's history also began more than 70 years ago," adds Fleetwood Grobler, president and CEO of Sasol. "With our expertise in Fischer-Tropsch technology and catalysts, we are the ideal partner to help decarbonise the aviation sector and make it sustainable for the long term."

Said Fischer-Tropsch catalysts are used to accelerate chemical reactions, increase yields and improve the quality of refinery products. The new generation catalysts are expected to increase the kerosene yield of the process to over 80 percent, optimising the use of resources. The technology will enable the production of sustainable products, which are increasingly in demand in a low-carbon world.

Sustainable kerosene - so-called Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) - is not based on fossil raw materials like conventional kerosene, but on green hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The technology contributes significantly to sustainably decarbonising sectors such as aviation, as fossil fuels are particularly difficult to replace in this area. For more information on CARE-O-SENE, Fischer-Tropsch catalysts and sustainable aviation fuels, please visit our FAQ page..