What happened to Sasol at Lake Charles?
Sasol in October announced that it had sold 50% of the base chemicals unit at Lake Charles to LyondellBasell for $2 billion. The company has in recent months been selling some of its prime assets in the country as it attempts to address its R189. 7 billion debt.
What is the Lake Charles project?
The Lake Charles Chemical Project (LCCP) would convert ethane to ethylene and other ethylene-based products, with PCL handling construction of the Low-density Polyethylene Unite (LDPE).
Who bought Sasol Lake Charles?
LyondellBasell
LyondellBasell agreed in October to acquire a 50% stake in Sasol’s base chemicals business at Lake Charles for $2 billion and operate the newly formed 50/50 JV, comprising the base chemicals business.
What does Sasol in Lake Charles produce?
Sasol’s Lake Charles West plant includes two units which produce the essential care products primarily used in the manufacturing of polyester fiber for clothing, upholstery, carpet and pillows, fiberglass, detergents, soaps and more.
How much did Sasol Lake Charles cost?
By February 2019 Sasol says the Lake Charles Chemical Plant project will now cost $11.8 billion. In May 2019 Sasol reveals that the cost will, in fact, rise to $12.9 billion.
What is ethane cracker?
Ethane crackers are plants that perform the first step in the process of transforming ethane – a component of natural gas – into plastics products. First, the plants separate ethane from natural gas to produce ethylene, the building block of plastics and other industrial products.
How much did Lake Charles cost Sasol?
Sasol took a final investment decision on Lake Charles in 2014 at an estimated $8.9 billion, drawn to America’s shale boom and boosting chemicals production. But the company’s reputation would be tarnished by the execution of LCCP.
Will Sasol retrench?
Petro chemicals company Sasol has joined the growing list of large companies in South Africa announcing planned retrenchments in the wake of Covid-19. Sasol, which employs more than 30,000 people, the bulk of whom are based in South Africa, will be restructuring the business to create ‘Sasol 2.0’.
What is the difference between ethane and ethene?
Ethane is an alkane and as such is saturated, meaning it has all single bonds. Ethene is an alkene and as such is unsaturated, meaning it has one carbon to carbon double bond. There is no visible sign of reaction when bromine is added to an alkane.
How does ethylene cracker work?
An ethane cracker takes ethane, a component of natural gas found in abundance in the Marcellus shale, and process, or ‘crack’ it into ethylene. It does this by heating the ethane up so hot that it breaks apart the molecular bonds holding it together to form ethylene.