Johannesburg, South Africa – Sasol has joined the global Hydrogen Council, which is a grouping of more than 120 companies from across the hydrogen value. These are companies that all want to play a role in ensuring that hydrogen plays a key role in the energy transition.

With over 70 years of experience in CTL and GTL technology, Sasol is also one of the largest hydrogen producers in the world, primarily from coal and natural gas feedstocks, with extensive knowledge in coal gasification and methane reforming. However, as Sasol positions for a low carbon future, the role of Hydrogen takes on more significance as we decarbonize our business and the economy of South Africa.

In 2019, Sasol released its Climate Change Report, where it committed to a 10% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030. It also defined the 3 pillars of our climate change response ( i.e. reduce our emissions, transform our operations and shift our portfolio).

“Not only does Hydrogen production via ‘greener technologies’ provide the opportunity to transform our operations through alternative feedstocks, but in the longer term, Hydrogen as an energy carrier has the potential to decarbonize the energy mix and provide an alternative pathway for the economic development of South Africa,” said Sasol President and CEO, Fleetwood Grobler.

He added that South Africa is ideally positioned to participate in the hydrogen economy as the country has some of the best renewable energy resources in the world, and also greater than ninety percent of the world’s platinum group metal (PGMs) reserves.

Sasol plays a leading role in the South African economy and, to enable the development of a hydrogen economy in South Africa, the company engages regularly with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI).

Sasol also participates on the advisory board of a DSI-led initiative, Hydrogen South Africa (HySA,) which aims to stimulate and guide innovation along the value chain of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and ultimately position South Africa to derive local benefits from supplying high value-added products to the growing international fuel cells and hydrogen markets.