Sasol Again Cuts Surfactants Business

Sasol will indefinitely idle 220,000 metric tons per year of n-paraffins capacity in Augusta, Italy, as part of an ongoing surfactants business restructuring. The firm will continue to produce the raw material at a remaining Augusta facility, as well as in Sarroch, Italy, and Lake Charles, La. "We still have 550,000 tons per year of global n-paraffins capacity," notes Sasol Vice President Guido Safran. These paraffins are used to make the surfactant raw material linear alkylbenzene (LAB). Earlier this year, Sasol shut LAB plants in Baltimore and Porte Torres, Italy.