As the Hopefield eSAF Project Advances.
CCN Reporter – George April
Phelan Green Group has joined the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) Association. This organisation sets and governs the sustainability standards used for renewable energy, e-fuels, hydrogen and traceable supply chains.
The company says membership gives it a voting voice in shaping those standards rather than simply complying with them after they are finalised. It also signals to partners, investors and customers a commitment to environmentally sound and climate-friendly practices.
The move is closely tied to the group’s flagship project outside Hopefield on the Cape West Coast. The R47-billion development aims to produce electro-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (eSAF) for export, mainly to the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Phase 1 alone is valued at about R12 billion, with first production targeted for early 2029.
eSAF produced at the site must meet strict European rules for Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBOs). ISCC is one of the key certification systems recognised for this purpose. The Hopefield project has already been pre-certified under the ISCC EU RFNBO framework, with independent verification showing greenhouse-gas savings of up to 95% compared with conventional jet fuel.
By joining the Association itself, Phelan Green moves from being a system user to a participant in the governance of the standards that will apply to its fuel once production begins.
The company still needs environmental authorisation, a water-use licence and other permits before construction can start. Community concerns about water use, biodiversity (including Hopefield Sand Fynbos) and the scale of the solar component remain part of the ongoing assessment processes.
Phelan Green describes the membership as another step in “Powering Our Green Future.”
Whether the certification pathway will satisfy both international buyers and residents will be tested as the project moves closer to financial close and construction.
