SASOL Integrated Report 2025_Final_28 August 2025 - Flipbook - Page 91
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT SASOL
STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
BUSINESSES
ESG
REMUNERATION REPORT
DATA AND ASSURANCE / ADMINISTRATION
ENVIRONMENT continued
WATER continued
PERFORMANCE
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) on wastewater discharges
Tracking performance against target
Operational performance
• Aligned with information reported on the DWS’s Integrated
Regulatory Information System we report on the Sasolburg Natref
Operations (SNO) barrage effluent discharge and SO’s treated
sewage discharge.
Sasol has actively tracked and reported on its water use performance
against the targets set in 2022. While several challenges were
encountered during this period, efforts to manage and optimise
water use remain ongoing.
At the Secunda facility, the water monitoring system has been
enhanced with the installation of two additional online in-stream
flow monitoring stations. This upgrade supports improved real-time
monitoring and a more comprehensive understanding of the water
system. Furthermore, a formal internal process has been developed
and implemented to verify the accuracy of surface water monitoring
data, including electrical conductivity and flow, which are continuously
measured in-stream to ensure the reliability and integrity of the
datasets used for decision-making.
• Total COD discharge decreased in FY25 when compared to FY24.
SO
SNO
2025 COD
tons/year
COD
(mg/L)
158
275
75
75
COD tons/
year 2024 COD
(target) tons/year
no limit
specified
1065
164
330
2023 COD
tons/year
168
350
Water performance
Water is essential to Sasol’s operation, from steam generation and
hydrogen production to cooling processes and other applications.
Recognising this, Sasol has made significant progress in improving
water efficiency across its operations. Key innovations, such as
skid-mounted desalination units, the nitro effluent treatment facility,
and bio-sludge to gasification have enhanced treatment practices,
reduced nitrogen loads, and increased internal water reuse over the
past decade. Ongoing efforts reduce reliance on external water
sources, enhance resilience, and improve water use efficiency – all key
components of our long-term water sustainability strategy.
Catchment-specific insights include:
Sasolburg: Freshwater demand increased due to higher
cooling and process requirements. Reduced domestic
wastewater inflows to the sewage treatment facility
limited the availability of recycled water. Additionally, the
implementation of discretionary optimisation projects was
delayed due to capital re-prioritisation.
Secunda: Poor raw water quality from the Grootdraai Dam
during the first half of the year significantly impacted water
use volumes. This, combined with increased steam and
energy demands and lower production volumes, affected
the site’s ability to meet water efficiency targets.
Mining: The operation remains on track, with potable
water use projected to stay below the 2025 target of
1 748 mega litres (Ml).
Other commitments: Most short-term targets related to
water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), leak prevention, catchment
studies and community projects have been achieved.
Future outlook
Advancing context-based water targets
The process for tracking actions from water use authorisation audits
has been strengthened by consolidating improvement actions into a
single, integrated platform with standardised reporting mechanisms,
thereby improving efficiency, consistency and oversight.
Sasol’s water stewardship is reinforced by several long-standing
partnerships and international commitments:
UN Global Compact CEO Water mandate
Sasol has endorsed the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate
since 2008. The Mandate promotes responsible water management
across six core areas: direct operations, supply chain and watershed
management, collective action, public policy, community engagement,
and transparency. As part of Sasol’s broader commitment to
responsible water management, the Mandate serves as a valuable
platform for aligning strategic responses to water-related challenges
and opportunities. It continues to serve as a valuable platform for
aligning Sasol’s strategic response to water-related challenges and
advancing sustainable development.
Sasol is in the process of setting new water targets, informed by prior
performance and aligned with our commitment to responsible water
stewardship. We have adopted context-based water targets (CBWTs)
to better reflect the unique risks and opportunities across the
diverse catchments in which we operate. Given the complexity of our
operations, supply chains, and the varying water-related conditions
at each site, a one-size-fits-all approach is not feasible. Each site’s
targets will be tailored to its specific operational design, maturity
and local water context – enabling more effective and locally relevant
water management.
Strategic Water Partners Network
Internal reviews, conducted in collaboration with business units,
considered past performance, future outlooks and the complexities of
setting targets in diverse operational and catchment contexts. Finalised
targets will be implemented in the first quarter of the new financial year.
Water Research Commission
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Sasol is an active member of the Strategic Water Partners Network
(SWPN), a leading public-private-civil society platform launched in
2011 to address national water challenges. Co-chaired by the
Department of Water and Sanitation and the private sector
and hosted by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
Business Foundation, the SWPN promotes scalable, cost-effective
solutions across four thematic areas. Sasol contributes through its
participation in working groups on effluent management, water use
efficiency, stewardship, and agricultural supply chains.
Sasol also celebrates a 12-year partnership with the Water Research
Commission, recognising our joint contributions to water research
and innovation.
