Secunda CTL is a synthetic fuel plant owned by Sasol at Secunda, Mpumalanga in South Africa. It uses coal liquefaction to produce petroleum-like synthetic crude oil from coal. The process used by Sasol is based on the Fischer–Tropsch process. It is the largest coal liquefaction plant and the largest single emitter of greenhouse gas in the world. Secunda CTL consists of two production units. The Sasol II unit was constructed in 1980 and the Sasol III unit in 1984. It has total production capacity of 160000 oilbbl/d.

Greenhouse gas emissions

it is the world's largest single emitter of greenhouse gas, at 56.5 million tonnes a year. However, if Afşin-Elbistan C power station in Turkey is built and operated at planned capacity it would emit over 60 million tonnes a year, though this project was stopped on the grounds of possible soil and air pollution. Air Liquide acquired the 42,000 tons/day oxygen production in 2020, with plans for 900 MW power plants to reduce emissions.

Unique plant infrastructure

The Sasol III Steam Plant has a 301 m tall chimney built by Concor, which consists of a 292 m high windshield and four 300 m reinforced concrete flues which together with a 1 m high temporary roof on the 4th flue make it the tenth tallest structure, and the second tallest free-standing structure in Africa. It remains the tallest structure in South Africa, and the tallest free-standing structure in sub-Saharan Africa.

In Media

As a major component of South Africa's economy, Secunda was in turn a major target of the African National Congress during the apartheid era. Two ANC attacks (and their aftermath) were dramatized in the 2006 film Catch a Fire.