Kashkadarya Province, Uzbekistan / Johannesburg, South Africa – Uzbekistan GTL LLC (UzGTL), one of the world’s largest gas-to-liquids (GTL) plants, has successfully completed its 100% Plant Performance Test Run (PTR). This milestone marks the plant’s official transition into full commercial operation, demonstrating its ability to deliver at — and exceed — design capacity under real-world production conditions.
The comprehensive performance test was conducted by joint owners, Air Products (gas production units) and UzGTL (liquid production units). Sasol, as Single Point Licensor, supplied the Sasol SPD™ process technology license, which integrates technologies from Topsoe (Syngas Production), and Chevron (Syncrude refining) with Sasol’s Low Temperature Cobalt Fisher-Tropsch (LTFT) technology and Sasol’s associated water treatment technologies.
The test confirmed the plant’s ability to operate at a production capacity above 100%, passing its design capacity of 37,650 bbl./day by producing 38,310 bbl./day. Critically, all product yield and quality targets, including for diesel and synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK), accredited for direct use for Jet A1 blending (under ASTM D7566), were achieved, both in terms of volume and international specification standards.
“This is an outstanding performance by Uzbekistan GTL and confirms not only the technical soundness of the Sasol SPD™ process, but also the effectiveness of global collaboration,” said Simon Baloyi, President and CEO of Sasol.
“Achieving and exceeding design capacity during the performance test is a major endorsement of our technology, catalyst, project delivery, and long-standing expertise in LTFT GTL technology as well as integrating and collaborating with our technology partners Topsoe and Chevron.”
The performance test validates the following:
- Stable operation under full production load, for more than 144 hours as well as turndown conditions.
- Integrated functionality of all technology and utility blocks across the complex.
- Reliable product quality, produced to international standards.
- Full operational readiness for commercial production and export.
- High-efficiency conversion and yield to diesel and kerosene (Jet Fuel).
The successful completion of the Performance Test at the GTL plant is an important milestone that confirms a high level of preparation and the ability to work effectively as a team. The combined efforts of specialists from Uzbekistan GTL, Air Products and Sasol contributed to the successful achievement of the set objectives, demonstrating reliability and quality that meet the high standards of our industry.
The Uzbekistan GTL plant converts 340 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of natural gas into 37,650 bbl./day high-quality, low-sulphur liquid fuels and feedstocks making it the largest Sasol SPD™-based facility in the world, utilising the largest slurry LTFT Reactors and the largest Auto Thermal Reformers in the world.