Sasol to Supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Antarctica Flights

Sasol signed an agreement on September 15 to supply co-processed sustainable aviation fuel to White Desert, a luxury tourism operator. The fuel, produced from vegetable and cooking oils at the Natref plant, will power White Desert's polar flights from Cape Town to Antarctica. The first flight using the fuel on an Airbus A340-600 is scheduled for November.

Sasol identifies the arrangement as the first commercial sustainable aviation fuel supply agreement in Africa. The company plans to seek similar contracts with airlines in the Middle East and Europe. As part of a broader transition into a hybrid bio-refinery, the Natref plant has set production targets of 100 million litres by 2030. The fuel received independent certification from the German agency TÜV SÜD in April.

This development follows other regional efforts to reduce aviation emissions. In May, Kenya Airways and Rubis Energy Kenya signed a non-binding agreement to develop a dedicated refinery using waste vegetable oils and animal fats.