Technology
Johnson Matthey to power landmark South Africa e-SAF plant as green aviation project takes off
Phelan Green Hydrogen has licensed technology from Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies for its planned electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) plant
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By ICN Bureau | June 17, 2026
Johnson Matthey has been chosen to supply key technology for a major new sustainable aviation fuel project in South Africa, as Phelan Green Hydrogen moves ahead with plans for one of the world’s first large-scale eSAF production facilities.
Phelan Green Hydrogen has licensed technology from Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies for its planned electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) plant in the Western Cape, with construction in Saldanha Bay expected to begin by the end of 2026.
The project forms part of a broader investment programme worth R47 billion (over £2 billion).
Once operational, the first phase of the facility is expected to produce around 35,000 tonnes of eSAF annually, with output aimed at markets in the European Union and the United Kingdom. That would represent up to 6% of the EU and UK’s mandated eSAF volumes for 2030.
Full build-out across all phases could eventually raise total annual production to around 140,000 tonnes.
At the heart of the project is Johnson Matthey’s HyCOgen technology, which converts CO₂ and green hydrogen into carbon monoxide. This is then combined with hydrogen to produce syngas, which is further processed using FT CANS™ technology—developed jointly by JM and bp—to create synthetic crude oil. That oil is then upgraded into synthetic paraffinic kerosene suitable for aviation fuel.
Alberto Giovanzana, CEO of JM CT, said: "Phelan Green’s plans for an eSAF facility in the Western Cape are a landmark project. It will be one of the world’s first commercial-scale eSAF facilities and a clear signal that SAF can scale today. It also marks Johnson Matthey’s first deployment of HyCOgen and FT CANS in Africa.”
Blair Phelan, Managing Director Phelan Green Group, said: "Securing these licence and engineering agreements with Johnson Matthey completes the technology backbone of our project. Their team's support has been instrumental in getting us here. We are now ready to turn renewable energy, CO₂ and water into sustainable aviation fuel, and to prove that eSAF can be produced at commercial scale, here in South Africa."
