Name of the Project
Sasol’s Fischer-Tropsch wax expansion project (FTWEP).

Location
The project is located in the Free State, South Africa.

Client
Sasol Performance Chemicals.

Project Description
The project involves the construction of a new wax plant at the Sasol One site, in Sasolburg.

The facility is expected to double the production of hard waxes and increase the production of medium waxes, mostly used for the candle industry in South Africa. It will also increase liquid paraffin production, used in a variety of industrial applications such as adhesives, bitumen used in road construction, and printing ink.

Total production of all wax products is expected to increase by about 65%.

The expansion will be implemented in two phases, the first of which will increase hard-wax capacity by almost 40%.

Jobs to be Created.
Not stated.

Value
The total project cost for both phases is estimated at R13.5-billion.

Duration
The project started in 2010.

The first phase of the project was commissioned in June 2015 and the second phase is expected to be commissioned in the first half of 2017.

Latest Developments
Sasol’s FTWEP (Phase 1), which achieved beneficial operation in May 2015, is continuing to ramp up. It is replacing hard-wax volumes from the existing facility, which has recently been decommissioned.

Phase 2 of the project is expected to reach beneficial operation by the end of the third quarter of 2017, which will result in increased hard-wax production during the fourth quarter of 2017.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Foster Wheeler (front-end engineering design); Global Engineering and Construction, a subsidiary of Foster Wheeler (engineering, procurement and construction management); Group Five Civil Engineering (civil and structural works); Energy & Chemicals Group, a subsidiary of The Shaw Group (basic engineering support for the two wax production units, with the company designing the proprietary equipment and optimising the technology); Heaton Valves Africa (valves supplier); Turner & Townsend (client's consultant); Kentz (mechanical and piping work) and Aveng Grinaker-LTA (Work Pack 3 Phase 2 and Work Pack 6 Phase 2 electrical and instrumentation projects).

On Budget and on Time?
The project is proceeding as scheduled.

Contact Details for Project Information
Sasol Chemical Industries, tel +27 11 441 3841 or fax +27 11 441 3287.
Foster Wheeler, tel +1 908 730 4000 or email fw@fwc.com.
Group Five, tel +27 10 060 1555, fax +27 86 206 3885 or email groupfiveho@groupfive.co.za.
Heaton Valves Africa, tel +27 11 418 4800 or fax +27 11 826 3687.
Turner & Townsend (Johannesburg), tel +27 11 214 1400 or
fax +27 11 214 1500.
Kentz, tel +27 16 910 9300 or fax +27 16 933 4543.
Aveng Grinaker-LTA, tel +27 11 923 5000.