Energy and chemicals group Sasol has appointed a number of engineering and technology providers to support it with its proposed development of a 1.5-million-ton-a-year ethane cracker, in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The South African company recently appointed Fluor Corporation as the main front-end engineering and design contractor for the cracker and derivatives project, which could involve an investment of between $5-billion and $7-billion.
But executive VP for the US mega projects Johan du Preez reports that other companies have also been selected to support the delivery of the project, on which Sasol expects to make a final investment decision during 2014.
He says the individual engineering services agreements related to development of basic engineering packages and have been concluded with Toyo Engineering Corporation for the linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plant, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding for the low density polyethylene (LDPE) plant, and Samsung Engineering America. for the ethylene oxide (EO) and mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) units.
The technologies of Technip Stone & Webster Process Technology, ExxonMobil Chemical Technology Licensing, Univation Technologies, and Scientific Design Company have been selected for the ethane cracker, LDPE, LLDPE and the EO and MEG processes respectively.
The JSE-listed group will use its own proprietary technologies for the Tetramerization, Ziegler alcohol and Guerbet alcohol units, while Emerson Process Management has been appointed as the main automation contractor.
Sasol also confirms that WorleyParsons has been contracted to support Sasol’s own project execution team.