Sasol Limited (ADR) (SSL)

colombo33 (90.21) Submitted: 8/08/07 4:58 PM

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Clean Technology is a great idea and something we really need. The problem is right now it very economical yet. Until it is alternative energy is what is going to be used. When you can convert coal (USA has the most abundant source in the world) into oil for about the price of $55 a barrel. I think stocks like this are going to be the big thing for the next couple of years until alternative energy becomes more cost effective.

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eslough (94.31) Submitted: 9/28/07 5:09 PM

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You seem to underestimate what will be accomplished through new technologies. Now that it's apparent that alternative fuels are a part of everyone's future, I expect that firms like SSL, which will have a leading edge over any other with regard to CTL and CTG, will be committing sufficient resources to resolve harmful emission problems in "refining" the coal into diesel and jet fuel. The fuel SSL now produces is extremely clean-burning as contrasted to petroleum. And the "refining" process is only incrementally more harmful than refining petroleum into gasoline.

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UCLAgrdstnt (77.43) Submitted: 1/08/08 11:26 AM

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Alt energy has a bright future. But it simply isn't enough nor will it be developed fast enough to satisfy the lion's hunger for energy. As long as oil stays upward of $80, which it will very likely do unless/until there is a global downturn, companies like SSL should do quite well.

Let's put it in the most simple terms:
Q: Which two countries are the largest consumers and projected consumers of oil?
A: Which two countries have some of the largest coal reserves in the world?

I love answering questions with questions when it leads to the ultimate answer:
US and China

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rudolphsteiner (99.98) Submitted: 2/01/08 11:10 AM

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I just ended my outperform on SSL - with coal prices skyrocketing, I believe you may be right about this company and coal to liquid in general. There is growing evidence that coal reserves have generally been overstated, much like oil reserves.

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REwqire (< 20) Submitted: 3/28/08 1:47 AM

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So tell me what's cleaner? I understand this is a pollution free transition process, but let's say it is not perfect. Ethanol creates more pollution through the corn process than regular oil does, hydrogen has been talked about for 40 years and is still not going to happen for the mass population for another 40 years at least (face the facts, it isn't going to happen anytime in the near future no matter what), we already have tried pushing natural gas and it doesn't appear to be going any further than it already has for buses and government vehicles only basically, what other realistic option is there considering no one is going to give up their vehicle? I don't mean ridiculous things such as entire world mass transit on every corner, what other real world option is left? I don't want a pickup making my solar car into a pancake, so what is the great alternative to this that will happen in the next 2 years?

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DrNyet (< 20) Submitted: 4/04/08 7:10 AM

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I agree with the overall challenge to the conventional "sales pitch" of SSL and their technology being the be all and end all of both alternative and clean fuels. However, there a couple of misconceptions. The GTL diesel that the technology yields in its pure state (that is not blended with conventional diesel) is unbelievably clean. I've driven a test Mercedes and there is practically nothing that comes out of the tailpipe when its running 100% synthetic diesel.

Second, much of SSL's allure was that they were going to switch from coal to gas as the basic feedstock. However, their venture in Qatar is probably the only one they'll do there and the technology has not ported well from coal over to the gas side. Gas also is now priced high enough that LNG makes much more sense to monetize it than losing 35% n the GTL conversion process.

So that leaves them with their basic coal to liquids process. And that poses real problems. Even the supposedly cleaner gas to liquids process was found to be at best "carbon neutral" relative to the conventional diesel refining process. When you throw in the greater carbon intensity of coal as the feedstock I think they potentially have a real problem on their hands. If you ever get realistic carbon taxes being introduced in the US then SSL's challenge will become very large indeed

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DrNyet (< 20) Submitted: 4/04/08 7:15 AM

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Bear in mind, though, that SSL already tried China and was more or less handed their head. Also, the F-T they have is not truly "proprietary". I'll grant that SSL has more experience than pretty much anyone else in deploying it, but once you tap some of that experience, any varierty of F-T can work, whether its slurry bed, or fixed tube reactor. And, the catalysts for coal to liquids are also not that proprietary. If the Chinese simply want to "invent" their own version of what SSL is selling, they may have already started. Would be rather cautious about assuming China is a big opportunity for SSL.

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