Sasol has become the first company worldwide to receive international approval for its 100 percent synthetic jet fuel, the company said on Wednesday.

The fuel is produced by Sasol's proprietary Coal to Liquids process.

"Sanctioned by global aviation fuel specification authorities Sasol CTL will be the first fully synthetic fuel to be approved for use in commercial airliners," Sasol said in a statement.

This marked a significant development in the adoption of clean-burning alternative fuels for the aviation industry — engine-out emissions of Sasol's jet fuel were lower than those from jet fuel derived from crude oil, due to its limited sulphur content.

Approval of Sasol's CTL fuel for commercial aviation was also a milestone in the effort to secure domestic energy supply for SA and other countries with significant domestic coal and natural gas reserves.

Sasol's transformative technology would allow these countries to monetise natural resources and increase energy security.

Sasol chief executive Pat Davies said the approval by the international aviation fuel authorities recognised the absolute need to develop aviation fuel from feedstocks other than crude oil to meet the world's growing needs.

"Sasol is the global leader and pioneer in advanced synthetic fuel technology and this is a huge step forward toward integrating a viable alternative transportation fuel into the energy mix and showing the way forward for countries seeking security in a world that is thirsty for energy," he said.

The current approval covered jet fuel produced at Sasol's Synfuels facility in Secunda.

Sapa