Transitioning SA's Petrochemical Value Chain

Secunda and Sasolburg’s operating units give rise to a range of hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams which need to be managed appropriately, ideally avoiding disposal as far as possible.

Large volumes of fly ash arise from the combustion of coal, with a number of opportunities for its productive use. Sasol reports that Sasol Energy Operations had a neutral to negative ash footprint through sale of ash (200,000tp/a), including legacy ash, for other purposes. They are nevertheless seeking opportunities for utilising waste ash.

Many of the facility’s products, notably plastics and chemicals, potentially have end-of-life solid waste implications.

The generation of electricity from coal has similar ash disposal issues. If Flue Gas Desulphurisation units are installed at coal power plants the sorbent used to capture the SO2 is a hazardous substance requiring disposal.

Technologies that will be adopted in the transition also have the potential to give rise to hazardous waste products. For example, renewable energy technologies and batteries used in electric vehicles and for electricity storage contain a range of metal components which will need to be managed through recycling at end of life to avoid negative impacts if they were to enter the waste stream.