/ 22 September 2010

Sasol notches up a jet-fuel first

Sasol took to the skies on Tuesday with the world’s first jet flight using fully synthetic fuel, the company said in a statement.

It said a passenger aircraft using its own-developed and internationally approved fuel made the flight from Lanseria airport in Gauteng to Cape Town.

The fuel, produced by Sasol’s proprietary coal to liquids (CTL) process, was the world’s only fully synthetic jet fuel to have received international approval as a commercial aviation turbine fuel.

The emissions from the fuel were lower than those from jet fuel derived from crude oil, due to its low sulphur content.

“This marks a significant development in the adoption of clean burning alternate fuels for the aviation industry,” Sasol said. — Sapa