Name and Location
Sasol gas engine power plant, Free State, South Africa.

Client
Sasol New Energy (SNE), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sasol group.

Project Description
SNE’s gas-fired power plant, in Sasolburg, will be the largest power plant on the African continent, which runs exclusively on gas engines. Further, because of its low emissions, it will be a major advance in developing Sasol’s electricity business.

The plant will have an installed capacity of 140 MW and will provide the energy needed to power the company’s major new production facilities, such as the Sasol wax expansion and ethylene purification Unit 5 projects, which are currently under construction.

The Sasolburg power plant has been designed with high operating efficiency, low generating costs and a minimal carbon footprint in mind.

The project will replace coal-fired power generation and will enable Sasol to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions from Sasolburg by a further one-million tons a year.

Value
The project cost R1.5-billion to implement.

Duration
It is expected that the plant will come on line during the first half of 2013.

Latest Developments
SNE inaugurated South Africa’s first gas engine power plant at its Sasolburg site, in the Free State, on July 10.

The facility represents the largest single investment in gas engine technology in Africa. It has an operating capacity of 140 MW, enough to power 200 000 households.

Half of the electricity generated by the plant will be used by Sasol's adjacent chemical factory, Sasol Infrachem, with the remainder to be fed into the national power grid.

The plant has been producing above its operational capacity, at 152 MW, since commissioning in December and will operate at 175 MW over its first year of operation. Thereafter, it will operate at 140 MW, owing to an ongoing maintenance schedule.

The facility reduces Sasol’s carbon emissions by one-million tons a year and has enabled the group to reach its target of 60% self-generated power, thereby easing its dependance on the national grid.

Finland-based Wärtsilä supplied the complete turnkey project on a fast-track basis with performance guarantees. The company was responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and project management of the power plant, which is powered by 18 Wärtsilä 34SG gas engines running on natural gas brought in through pipelines from Mozambique.

The plant will be operated and maintained by Wärtsilä under a three-year agreement.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Foster Wheeler (feasibility study and engineering, procurement and construction management) and Wärtsilä (turnkey contract).

On Budget and on Time?
The project was completed three months ahead of schedule and almost 20% below budget.

Contact Details for Project Information
Sasol group media, Alex Anderson, tel +27 11 441 3295 or email alex.anderson@sasol.com.
Foster Wheeler media relations, Julie Stanisz, tel +1 908 730 4047 or email julie_stanisz@fwc.com; or investor relations, Scott Lamb, tel +1 908 730 4155 or email scott_lamb@fwc.com.
Wärtsilä senior manager of media and stakeholder relations Tuula Franck, tel +358 400 267555 or
email tuula.franck@wartsila.com.