21-01-2011

Sasol and Linde conclude long-term agreement for engineering services

Sasol Technology (Pty) Ltd of South Africa has appointed the Engineering Division of The Lind Group as preferred Licensor’s Engineering Contractors for a major portion of the Sasol®, Fixed Bed Dry Bottom (FBDB™) Gasification Technology for an initial term of 10 years.

Linde’s mandate covers the downstream aspects of the FBDB™ Gasification Technology (raw gas cooling, raw gas shift, by-product processing and overall integration of the gas island). Hatch has been appointed for the remaining upstream aspects of the technology (coal delivery, gasification proprietary equipment and ash handling).

Linde’s expertise in Hydrogen & Synthesis Gas Production and Gas Processing technologies will be used to provide engineering consultation and related engineering services to Sasol. Linde will assist Sasol’s existing coal-based gas production operations with the development of optimization and engineering studies, and will be responsible for process engineering work for new gasification plants. Furthermore, Linde will assist Sasol with the on-going development of its gasification technology.

Since the foundation of Sasol, Linde's Engineering Division has cooperated with the company on a continuous basis, supporting Sasol’s R&D initiatives and providing engineering, procurement and construction services for jointly developed and Linde proprietary technologies. To date Linde has been awarded over 70 Sasol contracts ranging from conceptual engineering work to complete supply of plants on a Lump Sum Turnkey basis.
 
The appointment of Linde Engineering as Sasol’s preferred Licensor’s Engineering Contractors for the Sasol® FBDB™ Gasification Technology further consolidates a long lasting and successful relationship between these two companies.

Sasol is the world’s foremost producer of transport fuels, and other chemicals, from coal using the Sasol® FBDB™ Gasification Technology together with its in-house-developed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology.

Sasol is a public corporation, headquartered in Johannesburg, listed on both the JSE and the NYSE. Sasol’s principal centres of operation are in Sasolburg, and Secunda, South Africa. In 2003 Sasol commissioned the world’s first commercial gas-to-liquids plant in Qatar employing its newly developed cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology. A second gas-to-liquids plant using the same technology is under construction in Nigeria.

The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 bn. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its share¬holders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com