Sasol International Chemicals is advancing sustainable chemistry through bio-circular innovation and partnerships. Mr. Louis Snyders discussed its insect oil–based LIVINEX IO 7 and growing bio-based portfolio with ChemAnalyst.
Sasol International Chemicals, a business of Sasol Limited, is leading the next phase of sustainable chemical innovation through bio-circular solutions, advanced R&D, and strategic partnerships. Managing Sasol’s Northern Hemisphere chemicals business, the company delivers state-of-the-art specialty and commodity chemicals with end-to-end accountability for safety, technology, and sustainability. ChemAnalyst spoke with Mr. Louis Snyders, Vice President of Care Chemicals at Sasol International Chemicals, who discussed Sasol’s pioneering use of insect oil in developing LIVINEX IO 7, a drop-in replacement for palm-based surfactants, and the company’s growing portfolio of bio-based innovations like CARINEX SL biosurfactants for personal care. Through science-driven collaboration and a focus on performance, affordability, and reduced carbon footprint, Sasol International Chemicals is redefining the future of sustainable chemistry and accelerating the industry’s transition toward renewable, deforestation-free solutions.
Complete Interview with Mr. Louis Snyders
Q: What sparked the development of LIVINEX IO 7, and how does this product reflect Sasol’s broader commitment to sustainable chemistry and bio-circular solutions?
Louis Snyders: Over the course of the last five years, there has been a continuous theme around alternatives to oleochemistry in Europe due to deforestation concerns, among others. Looking at other natural replacements was a key focus for Sasol.
The spark for LIVINEX IO 7 was a breakout session at the 2021 American Oil Chemists' Society conference that focused on the use of insects for livestock feed applications. One of our research chemists attended the session out of curiosity, and after learning more about the chemical profile of insect oil, he recognized its potential use in the production of alcohols, and ultimately, a sustainable surfactant. Soon after, work began to develop LIVINEX IO 7.
LIVINEX IO 7 is a drop-in replacement for conventional C12-14-based chemistry, and unlike other natural alternatives that require full reformulation of cleaning products, it can be seamlessly integrated into existing product formulations. As a first-of-its-kind product, it showcases Sasol’s ambition to lead the industry in innovation and lower the carbon footprint of our products for our customers.
Q: In an industry traditionally dependent on fossil- and palm-based feedstocks, how does Sasol approach the challenge of balancing commercial viability with deforestation-free, palm-free, and renewable alternatives like insect oil?
Louis Snyders: Balancing commercial viability with sustainability is indeed a challenge for the industry. At Sasol, we continuously evaluate a broad variety of sustainable feedstocks, selecting those with the best cost-to-impact efficiency. Overall, it is the trifecta of product performance, affordability and sustainability that enables market acceptance, thereby enabling sustainable impact at significant scale.
Q: Please explain the sourcing and science behind insect oil, and what makes it a credible and scalable alternative to conventional oleochemicals in surfactant production.
Louis Snyders: Black soldier fly larvae oil is a lauric-rich, renewable, natural oil that can replace currently used feedstocks like palm-kernel oil (PKO). Because insect oil chemistry is identical to that of vegetable oil, mature technology and existing processes can be used for its production, virtually eliminating the need for major investments to convert the oil into surfactants. In addition, insect farming is a growing industry. There are considerable volumes of insect oil readily available today, and with our strong partnerships, we aim to upscale such volume further to also serve large scale applications.
Q: LIVINEX IO 7 has been introduced as a ‘drop-in replacement’—how critical is this compatibility to accelerating adoption among formulators in the home and fabric care markets?
Louis Snyders: In the current market, our customers are looking at simple solutions that do not require full product reformulations. When there is no need to change formulation or develop a completely new concept for a cleaning product around a novel ingredient, it is much easier for formulators to switch to sustainable products that don’t sacrifice performance. One can see the value directly and make a fair comparison with current formulations. Furthermore, substantial cost reduction and time saving is achieved by keeping the very same CAS-no., classification, regulatory requirements and labeling of final products.
Q: What were some of the key technical or market challenges your team faced during the development and commercialization of LIVINEX IO 7, and how were they addressed?
Louis Snyders: As with all new technologies, supply chains must be set up properly. In this instance, seemingly unrelated industries worked together to bring this product to fruition and eventual commercialization. It was also a challenge to find smaller units to aid in pilot and demonstration trials. Our strong partnerships and robust research and development capabilities helped mitigate these challenges and make LIVINEX IO 7 a reality.
Q: With Sasol planning to expand insect oil-based innovations into the personal care segment, how are evolving consumer preferences and sustainability expectations influencing your product roadmap?
Louis Snyders: The key advantage of our insect oil-based products lies in their significantly reduced product carbon footprint and their origin from bio-circular feedstocks, which also support more regional and resilient supply chains. We see this as a valuable addition to our portfolio, complementing our existing solutions.
Many of our customers — particularly leading consumer goods companies — are actively seeking more sustainable ingredients. Their evolving expectations directly influence our product roadmap. As these collaborations progress, we will gain deeper insights into how end consumers value such innovations, helping us to further refine and expand our offering in the personal care segment.
Q: Sasol has also recently introduced CARINEX SL, a line of biosurfactants for the personal care market. What role do sophorolipids and fermentation-based solutions play in your long-term innovation strategy?
Louis Snyders: Sophorolipids and fermentation-based solutions will continue to play a role in our long-term innovation strategy in both the home care sector (LIVINEX product line) as well as in the personal care space (CARINEX product line). For personal care applications, these bio-based sustainable surfactants with unique properties enhance our portfolio given their functionality and mildness. In home care and professional cleaning, our LIVINEX SL grades deliver high-performing, more sustainable cleaning power, enabling versatile and label-friendly formulations. Beyond sophorolipids, we’re actively evaluating other fermentation-based solutions to drive innovation.
Q: CARINEX SL is COSMOS, ECOCERT and vegan certified, and comes in different sophorolipid types. How do these options provide flexibility to formulators, and what types of personal care applications are you targeting first?
Louis Snyders: Sophorolipid-based products are mixtures of so-called acidic and lactonic sophorolipids. Sasol offers a lactonic sophorolipid-rich product under the brand name CARINEX SL L as well as a largely acidic sophorolipid product named CARINEX SL A, and depending on the target application, formulation and product design, formulators may lean more towards one over the other.
Customers may also blend both types to adjust a specific lactonic-to-acidic sophorolipid ratio. Given these materials are very gentle to the skin and the microbiome, help to protect the skin barrier function, and even feature benefits for dandruff-prone scalp and blemished skin, CARINEX SL-type products are excellent candidates for advanced skin cleansing and shampoo formulations.
Q: How does Sasol’s R&D organization foster collaboration across teams to accelerate innovation and the development of next-generation, sustainable surfactants?
Louis Snyders: Sasol’s rich history of innovation and expertise enables the development of forward-thinking solutions for unique customer needs. Focusing on sustainability helps us meet our targets and enables customer and industry transformation. We utilize our extensive capabilities in analytical, surfactant and physical property characterization, processing and application techniques to monitor new developments, investigate novel approaches and screen startups. When we identify something with potential, we then work to bring the concept to reality.
Q: What types of strategic partnerships or collaborations have been vital in scaling LIVINEX IO 7, and what do you look for in partners when developing future-forward chemical solutions?
Louis Snyders: Our insect farming partners as well as an end-customer pull enabled us to commercialize and scale this product. These projects require mature business models and openness to new methods across the whole value chain, but the decisive factor is trust built on a shared stake in the end result.
Q: Is Sasol International Chemicals leveraging any procurement or market intelligence tools to monitor raw material pricing, supply chain volatility, and emerging trends—particularly for bio-based and alternative feedstocks like insect oil? How does this data inform your strategic sourcing and product development decisions?
Louis Snyders: We use a range of procurement and market intelligence tools to continuously monitor raw material pricing, supply chain dynamics and broader market trends. When it comes to alternative feedstocks such as insect oils, our focus extends beyond price — we seek to understand the entire business environment, including growth opportunities, new capacities and potential constraints.
Procurement decisions must reflect multiple dimensions: customer expectations, supplier and process partner capabilities, and our own commitment to driving industry transformation. Ultimately, our goal is value creation — delivering more sustainable products without compromising on competitiveness. As process efficiency improves and production scales up, we expect greater stability and predictability in pricing, supporting both commercial and sustainability objectives.
ChemAnalyst Insights on Palm Kernel Oil Market
In Europe, the Palm Kernel Oil (PKO) market showed strong bullish momentum during the third quarter of 2025. Prices remained firm throughout the period due to persistent supply tightness, steady downstream demand, and consistent import flows. Market fundamentals were further supported by rising production costs driven by higher feedstock and energy inputs, which placed pressure on producer margins. Volatility in the market reflected ongoing cargo delays, elevated freight rates, and additional regulatory expenses across regional hubs. Demand remained robust, particularly from the oleochemicals, biodiesel, and shipping sectors, which continued to sustain price levels despite seasonal shifts and substitution effects. In September 2025, PKO prices rose further as weather disruptions in Indonesia and Malaysia reduced exports, tightening availability in Rotterdam. Strong downstream demand from the food and chemical sectors, coupled with higher export levies and logistics bottlenecks, kept European market sentiment firm through the end of the quarter.
