Sasol and Natref gear up for clean fuel mandates in South Africa

The South African government announced that it plans to introduce clean fuels starting July 2017 as environmental health and air quality improvement have become the two prime considerations for the government’s move toward clean fuels. In anticipation of the government’s mandate for clean fuels, two South African crude oil refineries, Sapref in Durban and Natref in Sasolburg, are initiating upgrades in several units. Sapref spokeswoman Cindy Govender said the company would carry out modifications to a number of existing units; Sapref will also begin construction of two new processing units in 2014 which are expected to be finished by mid-2017. A joint venture between Shell SA Refining and BP Southern Africa, Sapref is the largest crude oil refinery in southern Africa and accounts for 35% of South Africa’s refining capacity, processing 24,000 tons of crude oil daily. On the other hand, Natref, a joint venture between Sasol and Total, said it plans to invest about ZAR5 billion (US$607.9 million) in infrastructure upgrades which will reduce the level of sulfur in petrol and diesel fuel, as well as reduce levels of benzene in petrol. (July 30, 2012)