Sasol seeks additional gas supplies as it struggles with carbon emmissions

JOHANNESBURG – Petrochemicals giant Sasol said on Wednesday that it was exploring access to additional gas supplies coupled with renewable energy sources to boost its climate change response as the group faces mounting pressure to reduce its carbon footprint.

Chief executive Fleetwood Grobler said that Sasol wanted to transition to a lower carbon footprint as fast as it responsibly can, taking into account its different legal and stakeholder responsibilities.

He said that removing carbon from the group’s operations would not be as simple as flicking a switch, but would be a process that took investment and time.

“It involves judgements about the pace of the transition which reflects a number of variants, principally around the availability of alternative feedstock, availability of infrastructure, technology and cost,” said Grobler.

Sasol, which is South Africa’s second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions after Eskom, emitted 62 million tons in South Africa in 2020. The group said it was looking to reduce this down to 57 million tons in 2030.