The Sasol group of companies in South Africa is in the process of developing a comprehensive environmental management strategy. The company leads the world in the production of oil, gas and petrochemicals from coal.

Although industrial environmental management is a relatively new concept in South AFRICA, environmental groups and other lobbying groups in South Africa are increasingly subjecting industry to environmental pressures. This is aided by the opening up of world markets for South African products as well as the growing awareness of the environmental pressures bearing on overseas industry - and the anticipation of this trend spreading to South Africa.

Although obstacles are encountered in the promotion of environmental management, success in numerous areas have been demonstrated. Examples are given of achievements in the systematic upgrading of measures to minimize adverse effects on the environment.

Company Context

Sasol is by any standard a large player in the South African economy. Instituting an environmental management system and controlling pollution in an integrated fashion therefore constitutes a formidable challenge.

Sasol employs 27,900 people and in 1995 had a net turnover of approximately R11 954,8 million (more than US$35 864,4 million). It is a major player in the international chemicals arena, producing waxes, solvents, phenolic and coal tar products, polypropylene and nitrogenous products, apart from the synthetic fuels it is better known for.

The Sasol Group consists of three coal conversion plants. Sasol Chemical Industries (Sasol One) is situated in Sasolburg, 120 km south of Johannesburg. This plant only produces petrochemicals.

Sasol Synthetic Fuels is located in Secunda, 160 km south-east of Johannesburg. Sasol also owns and operates four underground collieries and two open-cast mines.

Commitment to integrated environmental management

Sasol's dedication to conservation of the environment has been entrenched in its mission statement for a number of years, and the environmental policy (upgraded in 1995) spells out the company's undertaking with regard to environmental management.

It is, for instance, Sasol's policy to minimize its effect on the environment by conducting environmental impact assessments (EIAs), by controlling emissions from cradle to grave using the best available and cost-effective technology, and by using natural resources efficiently. Sasol endeavors to conduct and support research aimed at limiting the effects of its operations on the environment, to co-operate with the authorities and to conform to laws and standards aimed at regulating environmental pollution.

Conducting a comprehensive environmental impact assessment for each new plant and project is regarded as an essential element in the eventual total quality management of a commissioned plant and in the execution of a project. In this way, the Sasol Fibres plant, the Alpha Olefins plant and the two open-cast collieries are some of the many Sasol projects reaping the fruits of early environmental planning and mitigation of impacts.

Continuous improvement

For Sasol, there are three ways by which continuous improvement in environmental management can be achieved.

Environmental auditing is seen as invaluable for continuous improvement in environmental performance. Only be determining which elements of environmental management are already in place and how well we are progressing towards implementation of these elements, can we begin to plan improvement. As part of the long-term environmental management strategy of Sasol, environmental audits have been conducted since 1992.

In addition to an environmental management strategy as well as a risk management strategy that had previously been developed at Sasol Chemical Industries in Sasolburg, an audit was carried out at this plant in 1992 by external auditors to establish a baseline for the R900 million renovation project that was completed in 1994. In this audit, a situation analysis of the current environment was conducted with regard to climate, hydrology, atmospheric conditions, waste and water systems as well as acoustics and aesthetics. The existing demographic and socio-economic situations in the surrounding communities were also described.

The current main impacts of the Sasol Chemical Industries complex as well as the potential impacts of the renovation project on the physical environment, infrastructure and communities were investigated. Legislation, standards and permit conditions bearing on Sasol's activities were identified and Sasol's performance was measured against these. This comprehensive audit also included the examination of major emissions and their dispersal, the situation with regard to hazardous wastes and the health aspects of waste dumps.

At the Secunda complex, audits on various plants have also been performed. The main objectives of the audits were to optimize operations, minimize waste streams and to compare design and actual operation parameters. Results of the audits are also used in order to determine compliance with legal and permit requirements.

Compliance audits with regard to emissions from plants, that are classified as listed processes according to the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (Act 45 of 1965), are conducted annually. Results of the audits are incorporated in the internal management information system.

An overall environmental management audit of the Secunda Complex was conducted early in 1993 by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This audit targeted three divisions in the Sasol Group of Companies and a total of twenty-five plants.

A solid waste audit was performed during 1990. The initial objective was to identify waste stream composition and sources. A follow-up study is quantifying the waste streams and determining a basis for disposal cost allocations.

At Secunda Coal and at Natref (a crude oil refinery)environment management audits have been conducted using the Environmental Self Assessment Programme promoted by the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI). Using this technique, management was given an excellent indication of the aspects of environmental management they had in place and which they still lacked. Goals were set and plans developed based on these audit Results.

Another way by which continual improvement is achieved is by the active involvement of Group Management. Regular meetings between personnel with environmental responsibilities at the various plants, mines, research departments and marketing divisions ensure co-ordination and cross-pollination. Issues that need to be addressed group wide are identified and task groups appointed to investigate them further.

The Managing Directors of all divisions meet quarterly with senior personnel with exclusive environmental responsibilities to be made aware of critical issues that have been identified and to be informed of progress that has been made on priority areas. In this way they can guide environmental projects by policy decisions and they can support implementation of environmental programs.

Dissemination of information is also seen as a way to achieve continuous improvement in environmental performance. An environmental co-ordinator keeps management informed regarding national and international trends in environmental management, clean technologies, case studies and performance of competitors. Tasked with keeping up with literature and conferences on this topic, she disseminates this information to key personnel. She also liaises with various community pressure groups and government bodies to ascertain what their attitudes and demands are with regard to Sasol.

Facilities and operations: effluent, emission and waste management

Water quality management

As the Sasol process uses a lot of water and South Africa is generally a water scarce country, water saving and water pollution prevention are utmost priorities.

A minimal discharge policy and the resulting recycling of effluent prevents pollution of the limited water sources in the Eastern Transvaal Highveld saves 80 megaliters of water per day. At Sasol Chemical Industries alone, new projects in 1995 enabled this 1950's plant to save 10,5 million liters of water per year by using waste water for fire fighting and gardening, by re-using water in the coolers and by minimizing losses from the cooling towers. This initiative also saves R 2 220 000 per year (US$6 660 000) and has reduced raw water consumption from 90 to 75 million liters of water each day. Further water saving projects are being investigated.

At all the plants aground and surface waters are monitored continuously. Surface water is monitored at various locations up-and downstream of the Sasol Secunda plants. Forty-five boreholes are used to monitor this 13km2 industrial complex, through which fingerprinting of ground water contamination is possible.

Air quality management

Air quality issues are of utmost concern to Sasol, as its plants are situated in both the Vaal Triangle - an industrial center south of Johannesburg - and in the Eastern Transvaal Highveld, where 80% of South Africa’s power is generated using coal as feedstock. These two regions are known for their air quality problems which are exacerbated by the direct burning of coal in lower socio-economic households, veld fires in winter, and high pollen counts. This overall situation demands that the Sasol plants reduce their emissions to a minimum.

Particulate air pollution from the power stations are limited with the use of electrostatic precipitators and ammonia dosing. Most of the sulfur in the form of H2S is removed from the flue gases of the gasification plant. This recovered by-product is used in the manufacture of various consumer products. So far, R506 million has been spent on the control of sulfur emissions into the air alone and R19 million on continuous research in this regard.

Monitoring stations in and around the plants measure for various atmospheric emissions to provide continuous information on the environmental status of the plants. Results of monitoring are reported to authorities by prior agreement.

With regard to most gaseous and particulate emissions Sasol conforms - and in some instances better the permit requirements. However, the sulfur recovery system still posses a major environmental challenge to Sasol. When the sulfur recovery units are not functioning effectively, hydrogen sulfide is released into the atmosphere and the associated rotten egg smell has been a nuisance since the erection of the plants. The concentrations by which H2S can be smelled do not pose a health hazard. Numerous solutions have been investigated in co-operation with internationally-renowned engineering firms, but so far no technology has been found to provide a complete solution. This situation will continue to be a challenge, especially in light of the fact that this unpleasant odor can, under certain climatic circumstances, be smelled 160 km away in Johannesburg.

In the near future, CO2 emissions will be reduced through a partnership with a contractor who will collect 100 tons of high purity CO2 per day from one of the Sasol plants. This gas, seen as a major contributor to the greenhouse effect, is a waste stream of the Sasol process and would normally be vented to atmosphere. The contractor will use the gas to provide in the current demand as well as in the impressive projected demand of carbon dioxide in Southern Africa.

Waste management

At our factories, the waste streams have been identified and quantified. Data sheets reflect the chemical analyses of the streams and prescribe the handling of hazardous wastes and the safety precautions needed.

The main objective of waste management at Sasol is waste minimization and much research is focused on it. Examples to illustrate this abound:

• dusty tars are fed back into the gasifiers; this re-use of the tars reduces 40% of normal disposal.
• tens of thousands of tons of coarse and fine ash is hauled away each month by contractors. The ash is used in the manufacture of bricks and is used as a cement extender.
• marke

Together with this, all new projects have to find environmentally acceptable ways to handle and reduce their waste streams. The result is that at Sasol Chemical Industries alone a 75% reduction has been achieved in the solid and non-watery effluent which were previously land filled.

As former unutilized products are now being recovered, remediation of disposal sites take place. Bioremediation and other processes are used. Profits made out of product recovery are used for the rehabilitation of these areas.

The waste streams that still require land filling are disposed of in specially lined dams. A permit system regulates this practice and color coding of wastes ensure segregated disposal to facilitate recovery at a later stage.

Certain wastes are removed by contractors and land filled on their sites. Record keeping and auditing of these facilities by Sasol are important parts of this aspect of waste management.

Every effort is made to effectively utilize natural resources. For instance, coarse coal is used in the Sasol gasification process; and the coalfines - of which million tons per year become a waste product in South Africa - are used to fuel Sasol’s power stations. Co-generation is employed to save electricity and previously-flared gases are also now effectively utilized, which will improve the yield of synthesis gas per ton of coal used, by 3%.

Energy management

Thorough management analyses and teamwork improved operations and made them more efficient. As a result, productivity increased and costs were saved: production of steam, heat and gas per ton of coal has increased dramatically (synthesis gas production has increased by more than R124 million). By improving processes, losses through the flares and other points have been cut by R18 million and significant energy savings (in the form of electricity) have been achieved. More than R 17 million is now saved every year in energy costs.

Research

Research conducted at Sasol includes projects to ensure environmental protection and to produce environmentally friendly products.

The long term fate of products and wastes is studied through biodegradation and toxicity testing. This information is also used on data sheets to communicate the environmental impacts of Sasol products.

Through bioremediation research, work is done in the biodegradation of oil spills (with impressive real life proof), land farming, the re-use of off-spec and unutilized products and the recycling and re-use of waste water. Bioleaching is also being investigated as a way to recover valuable products from waste ash dumps.

Biotechnology is employed to produce (natural food from waste water such as edible protein as an animal feed - and simultaneously cleaning the waste water. High value oils can be produced from waste water and vitamins can be produced from waste gas water.

These research projects would clearly not only benefit Sasol by cleaning up or reducing waste streams, they would also have wider beneficial applications in society.

Environmental reporting and community liaison

Apart from the technological and management challenges to achieve sustainable development, another challenge is now being addressed: transparency of operations to the public in the form of environmental reporting. In the “new” South Africa, it is now recognized that the public needs information to make informed decisions and judgments. Information regarding operations and products, together with the risks posed, have to be made available. Relevant sectors of the public also have to be given the right to participate in decisions that might affect them.

Environmental inquiries from the public are handled promptly and openly through personal contact and media releases. Not only public relations personnel but also staff with environmental responsibilities and technical personnel are drawn in to gather the relevant facts and to present these in user-friendly language.

Community consultation has become a major part of impact assessment. Meetings with community leaders, steering committees of polluted areas and the residents in potentially affected communities result in capacity building on both sides. Not only are communities informed about a new project, they also demand information on wider and related issues and state their requirements with regard to the environmental management of a project.

To communicate effectively with communities around existing plants, Community Advisory Panels have been established in accordance with the Community Awareness and Emergency Response code of practice of the Responsible-Care initiative.

Environmental education and training

In order for Sasol personnel to make informed decisions and in order to implement environmental management initiatives, environmental education and awareness is seen as indispensable.

Top management attend ecology courses to re-confirm establish their environmental awareness. At Huhla, the Sasol-sponsored ecology center in the Kruger National Park, they are reminded of ecosystems and the interdependence of environmental elements. Lectures are combined with discussions during hikes through the veld. Sasol management also receive regular feedback on relevant national and international environmental trends to enable them to plan and respond appropriately.

Design engineers as well as operating personnel also attended environmental management courses designed especially for Sasol by University lecturers and experts in the various fields. In these courses they are introduced to ecotoxicology, man-environment relationships. Integrated Environmental Management principles, impact assessments environmental audits and trends in legislation.

General awareness programmes as well as job-related modules are being developed in-house. To enable trainers to do this they have attended ecology courses in game parks. This enabled them to develop a sensitivity to environmental issues and to the line of thinking to be pursued in compiling environmental training courses. Together with the environmental managers at the different divisions, they are developing training modules for each plant. These modules are to be used during induction and for yearly refresher courses. Modules include general information regarding Sasol and the environment as well as plant-specific emissions, the effects thereof and the controls employed. Achievements and problems encountered in this regard are also set out.

Contribution to the common effort

Sasol contributes to national and international initiatives for the furthering of environmental management.

Sasol is represented on national environmental forums such as the Industrial Environmental Forum (IF) and the Chemical Industries Environmental Forum (CHIEF). The aim of this participation is to co-operate with similar industries in environmental management development and industry-specific pollution control. Individual member companies as well as these fora comment on and contribute to government initiatives with regard to the formulation of policy, legislation and integrated pollution control.

Sasol subscribes to the sixteen principles of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) set out in their Business Charter for Sustainable Development. In 1994, the Principles of Responsible Care of the Chemical Industry were also adopted.

Sasol assisted in developing the South African Environmental Management Standard which will be compatible with the proposed International Standard (ISO). A company representative is also actively involved in the formulation of the ISO Standard on Life Cycle Assessment. Sasol is also represented at the Environmental Scientist’s Association (ESA) and the International Association for Impact Assessment (South African branch).

Sponsorships include the development of a hiking trail in an area where no such facilities are available. This project will enable marginalised communities to have safe and constructive contact with nature. As local people will develop, manage and maintain the trail, employment will also be created.

Apart from the funding of wildlife projects such as the protection of the endangered Cape Volture colony in the Magaliesburg and the De Wildt wild dog breeding programme, Sasol has also contributed generously to environmental education initiatives. The weekly Sasol-Grassroots television programme was highly successful and many community leaders are taught the fundamentals of ecosystems at Huhla.

Conclusion

The Sasol group of companies has demonstrated that environmental management and pollution control do not have to result in financial losses. Profits can be made from wastes and productivity and yields can be improved while developing a comprehensive environmental management strategy. It is also clear that access to information on International developments are important in plotting environmental programmes and finding solutions to environmental challenges.

For further information contact

Dr. Erika Reynolds
Environmental Co-ordinator, Sasol
1 Sturdee Avenue Rosebank, 2196
P.O. Box 5486, Johannesburg 2000, Republic of South Africa
tel: 27-11-441 3111 fax: 27-11-441 3518