Sasol Selects Foster Wheeler For New CTL Plant Pre-Feasibility Study

1 April 2008

Sasol Technology (Pty) Ltd  has selected the South African subsidiary of Foster Wheeler to perform a pre-feasibility study for a proposed new coal-to-liquids (CTL) facility, known as Project Mafutha, in South Africa. The planned stand-alone greenfield CTL facility would produce approximately 80,000 barrels per day of synthetic fuel.

A potential location for the facility will be evaluated as part of the study.

Project Mafutha (“Mafutha” is a Zulu word for “oil”) will involve an integrated CTL process comprising three key process steps for the conversion of coal into primary fuel products (gasoline and diesel): gasification of coal to synthesis gas; Sasol’s proprietary low and/or high temperature Fischer-Tropsch processes; and refinery technology for converting the Fischer-Tropsch products into fuel products.

The project will also include other processing units, utilities and offsite facilities necessary to support the development. Foster Wheeler’s scope for the study will also include the integration of other venture elements, such as the mining operation, into the overall venture scope.