As part of Sasol's rigorous turnaround process for its Olefins & Surfactants (O&S) division, it will shut down 220 000 tons a year of its normal paraffin (NP) production capacity in Augusta, Sicily (Italy), for an indefinite period of time. O&S will continue to produce NP at Augusta, Sarroch (Sardegna, also in Italy) and Lake Charles (Louisiana, USA).

 

"The NP capacity shutdown in Augusta will allow us to further streamline our operating costs. This will not impact our internal supply of NP for our LAB (linear alkyl benzene) facilities in Augusta and Lake Charles. We still have 550 000 tons per year of global NP production capacity which is sufficient to reliably serve our customers," says Guido Safran, vice-president Sasol Alkylates and Surfactants.

 

Earlier this year O&S shut down its LAB plants in Baltimore (Maryland,USA) and Porte Torres (Sardegna, Italy). Sasol is a major producer of LAB and the largest single merchant producer of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) in Europe. LAB is the feedstock for LAS, an essential surfactant ingredient for the detergents industry.

 

Sasol is continuing to identify and to implement restructuring and improvement opportunities for its O&S division.

 

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