Sasol Installs Honeywell Fail Safe Controls to protect cold separation plant

12-05-2003: Honeywell Process Solutions has announced that global oil and gas company Sasol has installed six Honeywell Fail Safe Control (FSC®) systems at the Synthetic Fuels Cold Separation Phase 1 plant in Secunda, South Africa. The new controls will help Sasol ensure safe compressor operations, avoid unnecessary shutdowns and boost productivity significantly.

The systems engineered and manufactured in-house by Honeywell in South Africa are among several critical solutions for Sasol plant expansion projects in Secunda.

The Honeywell Fail Safe Control systems control the compressors on each of five cold separation units, where cryogenic distillation separates out gaseous products into four main streams: hydrogen, methane, the C2 fraction and the C3 fraction. The streams are then forwarded to other units for further processing. Each Fail Safe Control is programmed to shut down a compressor in the event of a malfunction. The sixth and largest Fail Safe Control system, located under the main control room, incorporates the main shutdown facility for the associated reactor units.

Honeywell's Fail Safe Control system will help the Secunda plant meet its goals to reduce costs related to shutdowns and will help keep the plant profitable. The product's easy integration with the existing control solution also made it a natural choice.

"Honeywell is committed to helping customers increase productivity," said Jerry Walker, Honeywell Process Solutions' Vice President and General Manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa. "The Fail Safe Control system offers measurable return on investment, and helps companies, like Sasol, meet critical production goals."