SASOL Integrated Report 2025_Final_28 August 2025 - Flipbook - Page 93
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT SASOL
STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
BUSINESSES
ESG
REMUNERATION REPORT
DATA AND ASSURANCE / ADMINISTRATION
ENVIRONMENT continued
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
Our commitment
We are committed to adhering to applicable environmental regulatory
requirements, consistent with our Code of Conduct and underpinned
by various Sasol policies.
Our group approach
We follow a robust process of reporting, managing and mitigating environmental incidents, including any
deviations from legal requirements. Our approach regarding environmental incident management is explained on
page 94 of the report. We transparently engage with the relevant authorities in managing our compliance
challenges and fully collaborate on environmental inspections conducted at our facilities. Our responses to
findings include remedial interventions aimed at sustaining compliance and retaining our licence to operate.
PERFORMANCE
The following are key events that occurred at our operations during the reporting period with regards to reported incidents,
compliance challenges as well as monitoring and enforcement actions conducted by the relevant authorities.
South Africa
Reporting of environmental incidents
Our operations reported environmental incidents
to the relevant authorities in accordance with the
relevant statutory requirements. These reports
include details of associated required incident
investigations as well as corrective and
preventative measures implemented.
Our Regional Operations and Asset Services (ROAS)
reported petroleum product spills from the
Secunda-Natref Integrated (SNI) product pipeline
due to incidences of product theft that occurred
during November 2024 and January 2025. Similarly,
ROAS reported two incidents associated with
gas in August and October 2024. There was a leak
from a natural gas transmission pipeline within
the Elsburgspruit wetland and a fire from a gas
distribution pipeline in Pretoria, necessitating
the activation of the Sasol emergency protocol.
Our Secunda Operations (SO) reported incidents
that occurred in October and December 2024
with associated impacts on water bodies. The first
incident involved a release of polymer pellets and
oil from the Polypropylene plant into a nearby
wetland. The second incident involved loss of
containment of hydrocarbons entering the
Klipspruit. Mitigation actions include enhanced
monitoring and awareness of potential risk areas
where clean and dirty water separation could
be compromised.
In September 2024, a fire caused damage to the
regenerative thermal oxidizer at Unit 86 resulting in
volatile organic compound emissions to atmosphere,
albeit with negligible impacts to the receiving
environment and surrounding communities.
In September 2024, our Sasolburg operations reported
Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) leak originating from a drain
valve flange at the Chlorine Plant to the soil surface.
Status of environmental issues
We previously reported that some environmental
licences were pending renewal and variation
applications. All existing water use licences (WULs),
atmospheric emission licences (AELs) and waste
management licences (WMLs) for the South African
operations are in place, save for two WUL renewals which
are still pending as explained below.
Sasol Mining’s Shondoni colliery received a renewed WUL
in February 2025 and the WUL for the Bosjesspruit
colliery was received in April 2025. However, the renewal
of the WUL for Sasol Coal Supply is still awaited amid the
submission of the required technical information in
April 2025. Natref’s renewed WUL was issued on
24 June 2025 following a recent follow-up site visit
conducted by the Department of Water and Sanitation
(DWS) on 20 May 2025. Additional technical information
required at the site visit was submitted on 21 May 2025.
Indications are that the renewal of the WUL is imminent.
Our Sasolburg operations also received an amended WUL
in March 2025 primarily correcting administrative errors.
From an air quality perspective, Natref’s AEL was renewed,
effective from 1 March 2025 and includes provisions for
commissioning of new low-carbon boilers. The AEL for
the Sasolburg operations was renewed in April 2025.
In February 2025, all the AELs for SO and Sasol Oil (Pty)
Ltd’s Secunda energy tank farm were renewed.
The updated AEL for SO incorporates conditions arising
from the April and July 2024 decisions from the Minister
of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on Sasol’s
appeal related to its Clause 12A application. Key
conditions include the determination of load and
concentration based limits applicable to sulphur dioxide
emissions from the steam plants’ boilers, achieving the
emission reductions as undertaken as well as
monitoring and reporting requirements, including
making compliance reports publicly available on
www Sasol’s https://www.sasol.com/esg/environment/
air-quality/our-so2-compliance-journey.
Inspections and enforcement
The DWS compliance and enforcement division conducted
an inspection at Natref in July 2024, focusing on water
uses. This was followed by an annual site inspection
conducted by the DWS catchment officer in March 2025.
In both instances, no non-compliances were noted.
The Provincial Department of Economic, Small Business
Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs also
conducted a site inspection in July 2024 amid the
consideration of an application for an environmental
authorisation for Natref’s hybrid refinery project. No
findings were raised and the environmental authorisation
was subsequently granted in October 2024.
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