Sasol to boost fuel output by 20%

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Sasol, the world’s biggest maker of fuel from coal, has ordered a reactor to increase its synthetic fuels output by 20 per cent to 180 000 barrels per day by 2015, it said yesterday.

Sasol’s coal-to-liquids refinery at Secunda in South Africa produces 150 000 bpd. Japanese manufacturer, Hitachi Zosen Mechanical Corporation (HMC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Zosen Corporation, won the contract to build the reactor, Sasol said in a statement.Sasol declined to say how much the Sasol Advanced Synthol (SAS) reactor would cost.Sasol uses it’s advanced Synthol reactors to produce synthesis gas, which is converted into a large range of liquid fuels and chemical products, and supplies about 35 per cent of South Africa’s liquid fuel needs.Sasol currently uses nine SAS reactors at Secunda to convert coal and natural gas into high quality synthetic transportation fuels such as petrol, diesel and jet fuel and chemicals.”We will use both natural gas and coal as feedstock to produce our advanced range of synthetic transportation fuels,” said Sasol Executive Director Benny Mokaba.Sasol’s Secunda operation to the north of the country, is currently in the grip of a strike, which has affected its five Secunda coal mines where 2 000 workers or one third of the workforce downed their tools last Friday over a wage dispute.Sasol has said the strike has not affected fuel production, but has reduced the amount of coal mined for use at its Secunda refinery.The company had enough coal stockpiles, it said.A Hitachi Zosen official said the SAS reactor will weigh about 867 tonnes and be some 12 stories or 38 metres tall.Hisao Matsuwake, president of HMC said his firm has constructed seven similar reactors for Sasol since 1998, which are used in the production of environmentally friendly energy.Sasol has launched preliminary feasibility studies on a new 80 000 barrels per day coal-to-liquids facility in South Africa, but has said actual construction is still a few years away.Sasol has held informal discussions with the country’s government over the project, meant to help meet the growing liquid fuels requirements of Africa’s biggest economy.The project has been dubbed “Mafutha”, the Zulu word for oil, the feasibility studies would examine the availability of sufficient coal reserves, power supply, location, fuel demand growth in southern Africa and other logistics.Mokaba has previously said that for the country to attain a projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of six per cent in the future, it would need a new 150 000 bpd synfuels refinery by 2011, as fuel demand was expected to grow sharply.Nampa-ReutersJapanese manufacturer, Hitachi Zosen Mechanical Corporation (HMC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Zosen Corporation, won the contract to build the reactor, Sasol said in a statement.Sasol declined to say how much the Sasol Advanced Synthol (SAS) reactor would cost.Sasol uses it’s advanced Synthol reactors to produce synthesis gas, which is converted into a large range of liquid fuels and chemical products, and supplies about 35 per cent of South Africa’s liquid fuel needs.Sasol currently uses nine SAS reactors at Secunda to convert coal and natural gas into high quality synthetic transportation fuels such as petrol, diesel and jet fuel and chemicals.”We will use both natural gas and coal as feedstock to produce our advanced range of synthetic transportation fuels,” said Sasol Executive Director Benny Mokaba.Sasol’s Secunda operation to the north of the country, is currently in the grip of a strike, which has affected its five Secunda coal mines where 2 000 workers or one third of the workforce downed their tools last Friday over a wage dispute.Sasol has said the strike has not affected fuel production, but has reduced the amount of coal mined for use at its Secunda refinery.The company had enough coal stockpiles, it said.A Hitachi Zosen official said the SAS reactor will weigh about 867 tonnes and be some 12 stories or 38 metres tall.Hisao Matsuwake, president of HMC said his firm has constructed seven similar reactors for Sasol since 1998, which are used in the production of environmentally friendly energy.Sasol has launched preliminary feasibility studies on a new 80 000 barrels per day coal-to-liquids facility in South Africa, but has said actual construction is still a few years away.Sasol has held informal discussions with the country’s government over the project, meant to help meet the growing liquid fuels requirements of Africa’s biggest economy.The project has been dubbed “Mafutha”, the Zulu word for oil, the feasibility studies would examine the availability of sufficient coal reserves, power supply, location, fuel demand growth in southern Africa and other logistics.Mokaba has previously said that for the country to attain a projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of six per cent in the future, it would need a new 150 000 bpd synfuels refinery by 2011, as fuel demand was expected to grow sharply.Nampa-Reuters