TITLE: Sasol: The Commercial Experience (An Executive Summary)

AUTHOR: F. M. O'Hara.

INST.  AUTHOR: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  Feb 82,  8p.

ABSTRACT:

This report is an executive summary of a larger report that describes and analyzes the design and operation of Sasol, the South African Fischer-Tropsch coal-liquefaction operation. Sasol produces gasoline for about $0.69 to $0.71/L ($2.60 to $2.70/US gal), along with fuel gas, asphalt, industrial chemicals, fertilizers, and waxes. The product slate is changed to match market demands by altering the plants' operating conditions. Furthermore, redundancies built into plant design have allowed rapid introduction of previously unproven technologies. Close cooperation between the private and public sectors has produced rapid economic as well as technical development of the organization, resulting in large effects on the South African economy and body politic and making Sasol a noteworthy technical enterprise.

REPORT  NUMBER: ORNL/TM-8163

CONTRACT  NUMBER: W-7405-ENG-26