Sasol fire heightens South Africa’s dependence on fuel imports
A fire that shut Sasol’s Natref oil refinery leaves South Africa with only one crude-processing plant running, highlighting a growing reliance on fuel imports.
The January 4 blaze at the facility — the nation’s only inland crude refinery — has caused concerns over jet-fuel supply to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, the continent’s biggest.
That’s prompting shippers to schedule fuel deliveries via pipelines and rail from neighbouring Mozambique to prevent shortages, Airports Company of South Africa said in a post on X.
Sasol wouldn’t confirm a date for a restart of the plant as assessments are under way, it said Tuesday. The Fuel Industry Association of South Africa expects the unit will be back online by February 21.
The 108 000-barrel-a-day plant represents 30% of South Africa’s normally operating refining capacity that comprises three plants and excludes another three facilities that have been shut in recent years. Accidents have halted some, while others require significant investment to manufacture cleaner products.
Besides Natref, only Glencore’s Astron Energy oil refinery in Cape Town and Sasol’s Secunda plant that makes synthetic fuels from coal and gas are operational.
Shutdowns have resulted in a growing reliance on shipments from abroad. The State-owned Central Energy Fund has applied to take over assets at the nation’s biggest fuel import terminal. TotalEnergies SE has also expressed interest in providing supply.
Sasol said it will provide an update on Natref operations next week.
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