- Phelan Green has licensed technology from Johnson Matthey and Honeywell for a 200 MW electro sustainable aviation fuel project in Saldanha Bay.
- The R47 billion (US$2.5 billion) facility is expected to begin construction by the end of 2026.
- Once fully operational, the project is expected to produce around 140,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel annually for export markets.
Renewable energy developer Phelan Green, through its subsidiary Phelan eFuels, has secured key technology agreements with UK based Johnson Matthey and Honeywell for its planned 200 MW electro sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) project in Saldanha Bay, South Africa.
The agreements will see the project deploy Johnson Matthey’s proprietary HyCOgen and FT CANS technologies alongside Honeywell’s Fischer Tropsch Unicracking process. The integrated technology platform will enable the production of synthetic aviation fuel using green hydrogen generated from renewable electricity and captured CO₂.
The R47 billion (US$2.5 billion) project is expected to become one of Africa’s largest eSAF facilities and represents the first major deployment of Johnson Matthey’s HyCOgen and FT CANS technologies on the continent.
Located in Saldanha Bay in South Africa’s Western Cape province, the facility is scheduled to begin construction by the end of 2026. The plant will combine electrolytic green hydrogen with captured CO₂ to produce synthetic crude, which will then be refined into sustainable aviation fuel for international markets.
During its first phase, the project is expected to produce approximately 35,000 tonnes of eSAF annually, primarily targeting customers in the European Union and United Kingdom. Once all development phases are completed, annual production is projected to reach around 140,000 tonnes.
The South African government has formally recognised the development as a nationally strategic green industrial project, highlighting its potential to support industrial decarbonisation, strengthen the country’s green hydrogen value chain and position South Africa as a future supplier of sustainable aviation fuels to global markets.
The project builds on Phelan Green Energy’s earlier commitment to the Saldanha Bay region. In October 2023, Ireland’s Phelan Green Energy and its South African subsidiary, Solar Capital, announced plans for a R47 billion green hydrogen development in Saldanha. The Saldanha Green Hydrogen Project was conceived as a large scale green hydrogen and ammonia production facility that would support South Africa’s emerging green fuels sector while creating substantial economic opportunities.
At the time of the announcement, the project was expected to create approximately 2,500 jobs during construction and support more than 500 permanent specialised positions once operational. Annual export revenues were projected to exceed R6 billion, underlining the project’s potential contribution to regional economic growth and export earnings.
Phelan Green Energy has positioned the development around the deployment of proven technologies, efficient plant design and access to low cost renewable energy resources. The company, which maintains a team in Cape Town, views the Western Cape as a strategic location for producing green hydrogen based fuels for international markets seeking to decarbonise aviation and industrial sectors.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
