First Sasolplant
First Sasolplant toproduce greenhydrogenThe Chlorine Plant in Sasolburgis the first entity in Sasol toproduce green hydrogen. Thisbecame a reality when the 3MWSolar Photovoltaic (PV) Plant onthe Sasol Midland Site started toproduce solar energy at the end ofJune 2023.This renewable energy feeds thechlorine electrolysers, allowinga portion of the current greyhydrogen stream from theelectrolysers to be classified as“green”.“The plant will bring about adecrease to the equivalentamount of electricity currentlyimported from Eskom whichis mainly coal-based. The3MW system is expected toproduce a 7,72-gigawatt hour(GWh) annual average yield ofelectricity,” said Rightwell Laxa,Senior Vice President at Sasol’sSasolburg and EkandustriaOperations.According to Laxa the projecteconomics are favourable whenconsidering the investmentcosts relative to the costs offuture electricity from Eskomwhich would be saved as a resultof own generation of renewableelectricity.The 3MW Solar PV projectwill supplement the 69MW ofrenewable energy that will besupplied to Sasol’s SasolburgSite from the Msenge EmoyeniWind Farm located near Bedfordin the Eastern Cape. Futureallowance has also been made inThe 3MW Photovoltaic Plant on the Sasol Midland Sitein Sasolburg that became operational at the end ofJune 2023.
the Sasolburg project for Sasol’sResearch and Technologydepartment to test novel PVtechnologies in the area withthe aim of improving solar PVtechnology.The Vaal Triangle in South Africais home to fossil fuel-basedindustrial operations that havebeen crucial to the country’seconomic development,supporting many livelihoodsthrough job creation andcontribution to the country’sGDP. Many of the assets inthese operations can pivot tosustainable operations.Under a joint developmentagreement Sasol andArcelorMittal South Africaembarked on the Vaal carboncapture and utilisation (CCU)study to use renewableelectricity and green hydrogento convert captured carbon fromArcelorMittal South Africa’sVanderbijlpark’s steel plant intosustainable fuels and chemicals.The Vaal CCU study willexplore using up to 1,5 milliontonnes a year of unavoidableindustrial CO2 captured fromthe ArcelorMittal South Africa’sVanderbijlpark Works.The CO2 is envisaged to betransported to the Sasolburgand Ekandustria operatingfacilities in Sasolburg and,together with green hydrogen,will eventually replace naturalgas as a feedstock to producesustainable chemical products.The potential project willdrive the re-industrialisationof the Vaal region, seedingthe opportunity for thedevelopment of a greenhydrogen ecosystem, therebyenabling long-term, sustainablebenefits for communities andthe country.These electrolysers on the Sasol Midland Site producehydrogen of which a portion can now be classified as“green” hydrogen.
