Name and Location
Sasol wax expansion project, Free State, South Africa.

Client
Sasol Chemical Industries.

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, and liquid paraffin, 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%.

Value
Sasol has approved R8.4-billion for the project.

Duration
The project started in 2010.

The first phase of the project came into operation in 2012 and the second phase is planned for 2014.

Latest Developments
A 344.5 t wax reactor has arrived at petrochemicals giant Sasol’s Fisher-Tropsch wax expansion project, in Sasolburg, in the Free State, after five weeks of transporting it by road from Richards Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal.

The route included travelling through Pongola, in KwaZulu-Natal, Piet Retief, in southern Mpumalanga, and “a short section” of Gauteng before reaching Sasolburg.

The load, classified as a super abnormal load, weighed 499 t once loaded onto a trailer and spanned 78 m in length. It travelled at a speed of between 5 km/h and 10 km/h and was escorted by a supporting crew, an ambulance and provincial and local traffic police.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Foster Wheeler (front-end engineering design); Group Five Civil Engineering (site works).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Sasol Chemical Industries, tel +27 11 441 3841 or fax +27 11 441 3287.