Sasol, Topsoe form a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) joint venture Zaffra

South African chemicals and energy company Sasol and Danish carbon emission reduction technology company Topsoe have launched a joint venture, called Zaffra, which will focus on developing and delivering sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The companies will supply SAF to Amsterdam Schiphol through Zaffra, launched earlier in March, contributing to the decarbonisation of the aviation industry.

Topsoe’s technology uses hydro-processing to enable the processing of virgin oils, waste oils and fats, solid biomass, and plastic waste/tires to produce HEFA-based SAF, with minimal carbon intensity compared to traditional petroleum aviation fuel.

The newly named Zaffra CEO, Jan Toschka, is a seasoned leader in the aviation fuels industry, the companies said in a March 14 press release, having previously served as President of Global Aviation for Shell.

“The growing demand for SAF will require multiple pathways and Zaffra is in a unique position to become a relevant player in this market. Backed by Sasol and Topsoe’s legacies, our offer combines leading technologies with decades of experience in building and running production assets,” Toschka said.

Fleetwood Grobler, Sasol President and CEO of Johannesburg- and NYSE-listed Sasol, said in a statement Zaffra is built on “decades of collaboration” with Topsoe.