Name and Location
Sasol’s Fischer-Tropsch wax expansion project (FTWEP), 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%.

Value
Sasol has approved R13.6-billion for the project.

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
Engineering and construction company Kentz has secured a $24-million contract to undertake the mechanical and piping work for Work Pack 3 of Phase 2 of Sasol’s FTWEP.

The contract will be executed by the construction service line, which will be responsible for the fabrication, installation, testing and handover of mechanical and piping construction of the FT Synthesis (Unit 2600), located at the existing premises of the Sasol One Site.

Kentz will provide all mechanical and piping construction services associated with the installation of 16 vessels and exchangers, 12 pumps, a compressor package, carbon and stainless steel piping, as well as carbon and stainless steel welding and steam tracing.

Phase 1 of the FTWEP was successfully commissioned earlier this month.

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) and Kentz (mechanical and piping work).

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.
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 +2711 418 4800 or fax +2711 826 3687.
Turner & Townsend (Johannesburg), Trudie Almond, tel +27 11 214 1400
fax +27 11 214 1500 or email trudie.almond@turntown.com.
Kentz, tel +27 16 910 9300 or fax +27 16 933 4543.