Sasol Ltd. and partner Total SA have halted operations at their joint venture National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa Ltd. (Natref) refinery in Sasolburg, South Africa, due to lower demand amid efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The suspension at the 108,000-bpd refinery will last until further notice, the companies said.
The South African government imposed a national lockdown on March 27 to contain the spread of COVID-19. As a result, fuel demand in the country fell. Sasol cuts production rates at its coal-based synthetic fuels manufacturing site the Secunda Synfuels Operations (SSO) by 25%.
Natref completed fully suspending operations on April 20 so that it could be safely restarted when needed. Natref’s shutdown led to production halts at Sasol’s nitric acid, ammonia, and chlorovinyl plants in Sasolburg. The company will prioritize operations at its SSO, which now runs at 75% rates.
