Johnson Matthey Technologies Selected for Phelan Green’s Landmark eSAF Project in South Africa

AeroMorning – John Smith – 19 June 2026

On 16 June 2026, Phelan Green Hydrogen announced that it had selected Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies (JM) to supply the core process technologies for its planned electro‑Sustainable Aviation Fuel (eSAF) facility at Saldanha Bay in South Africa’s Western Cape Province.

According to the companies’ announcement, the project is expected to become one of the world’s first commercial‑scale facilities producing synthetic aviation fuel entirely from renewable electricity, water, and captured carbon dioxide through a fully integrated Power‑to‑Liquid (PtL) pathway.

Construction is expected to begin before the end of 2026 as part of the broader Phelan Green Hydrogen Project, representing approximately ZAR 47 billion (≈ €2.4 billion) of investment.

Converting Renewable Electricity, Water and CO₂ into Aviation Fuel

The facility will use renewable electricity to power electrolysers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The resulting green hydrogen is the primary feedstock for the fuel synthesis process.

The first chemical conversion step uses Johnson Matthey’s proprietary HyCOgen™ technology, based on the catalytic Reverse Water‑Gas Shift (RWGS) reaction:

CO₂ + H₂ → CO + H₂O

In this step, captured carbon dioxide reacts with green hydrogen to produce carbon monoxide (CO), while water is formed as a by‑product.

The carbon monoxide is then combined with additional hydrogen to produce synthesis gas (syngas), a mixture of CO and H₂ that serves as the intermediate feedstock for synthetic fuel production.

Fischer‑Tropsch Conversion of Syngas into Synthetic Crude

The syngas is subsequently processed using FT CANS™, a Fischer‑Tropsch technology jointly developed and co‑owned by Johnson Matthey and bp.

In the Fischer‑Tropsch reactor, carbon monoxide and hydrogen are catalytically converted into longer‑chain hydrocarbons according to the simplified reaction:

CO + H₂ → Hydrocarbons + H₂O

Through this process, carbon and hydrogen atoms are assembled into paraffinic hydrocarbon chains similar to those found in conventional petroleum‑derived fuels.

The output is a synthetic crude oil composed primarily of long‑chain paraffinic hydrocarbons and waxes.

Upgrading into Synthetic Jet Fuel (SPK) and SAF Certification Pathway

The synthetic crude is then upgraded through refining processes, including hydrocracking and fractionation, to produce Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (SPK).

SPK is a synthetic jet fuel component produced from non‑fossil carbon sources. In this case, it forms part of an electro‑SAF (eSAF) production route.

Under aviation fuel certification standards, the SAF component is first certified under ASTM D7566.

The SAF component is then blended with conventional fossil‑derived Jet A or Jet A‑1 fuel.

After blending, the resulting fuel is delivered to aircraft under ASTM D1655 specifications (conventional fuel specification), while retaining a certified share of sustainable aviation fuel.

In other words, the final product supplied to aircraft is formally governed by ASTM D1655, even though it contains a certified proportion of SAF.

Importantly, the SAF content is not “lost” after blending. It is simply accounted for as a sustainable fraction within a standardized fuel pool.

This accounting framework is critical to the current aviation decarbonisation system:

• Airlines can continue to use existing aircraft without modification (current engines not able to fly 100% SAF)
• Airports and fuel distribution infrastructure remain unchanged
• Emissions reductions are achieved on a lifecycle basis rather than through physical segregation of fuels

Process Chain Summary

Step 1 – Green hydrogen production
Renewable electricity + Water → Green H₂ + O₂

Step 2 – CO₂ conversion (HyCOgen™)
CO₂ + H₂ → CO + H₂O

Step 3 – Syngas formation
CO + H₂ → Syngas (CO + H₂)

Step 4 – Fischer‑Tropsch synthesis (FT CANS™)
CO + H₂ → Hydrocarbons + H₂O

Step 5 – Fuel upgrading
Synthetic crude oil → Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (SPK) → SAF (via ASTM D7566 certification and blending)

Step 6 – Final aviation fuel supply
SAF blend → ASTM D1655 Jet fuel (certified blend containing SAF fraction)

Production Capacity and EU/UK SAF Contribution

According to the 16 June 2026 announcement, the first phase of the Saldanha Bay facility is expected to produce approximately 35,000 tonnes of eSAF per year.

This volume is expected to represent up to 6% of the combined EU and UK mandated eSAF requirement for 2030.

Once all project phases are completed, total production capacity is expected to reach approximately 140,000 tonnes of eSAF per year.

Strategic Significance

As highlighted by Johnson Matthey and Phelan Green Hydrogen in their 16 June 2026 announcement, the project represents:

• One of the world’s first commercial‑scale eSAF production facilities
• The first deployment of Johnson Matthey’s HyCOgen™ technology in Africa
• A large‑scale industrial application of the Power‑to‑Liquid pathway
• A significant future source of synthetic aviation fuel for European and UK markets

The project integrates green hydrogen production, carbon dioxide utilisation, and Fischer‑Tropsch synthesis to demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of synthetic aviation fuel production at industrial scale.