Sasol wishes to correct information provided by Groundwork in an interview with ENCA on 12 May 2024.

As a responsible corporate citizen Sasol is committed to operate within legal requirements and specifically the requirements stipulated in our licenses.  To this end we wish to reiterate that Sasol complies with our atmospheric emission licenses.

In order to ensure continued operations, within legal requirements from 1 April 2025, Sasol submitted an application in terms of Clause 12A of the minimum emission standards (MES) .  Clause 12A does not seek to obtain leniency in air quality emissions compliance but rather to regulate our emissions on an alternative basis (load-based in stead of concentration-based). 

Sasol’s proposal involves emissions reductions in an integrated manner, which will achieve double the reductions in sulphur dioxide (SO₂)emissions (load-based) than would have been achieved when compared to and the equivalent mass reduction associated with the MES concentration limit.  In addition, there will be further reductions in particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) on a load-basis. These further reductions will result in an improvement of ambient air quality within the local airshed over-and-above MES compliance.

This solution is aligned with Sasol’s stated ambition to decarbonise and transition to sustainable feedstocks.

Sasol believes that the minister acknowledged these aspects in her decision of 5 April 2024. The full decision can be read here. More information on our SO₂ journey is available here.  

The merits of Sasol’s Clause 12A appeal are contained in our appeal with an overview available here with more detail and documentation available here.

Assertions that Sasol’s operations have not been compliant is incorrect, as this would render our operations illegal.

Sasol remains committed to sustainable development and transitioning its business towards a lower-carbon future.