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This paper reports on the comprehensive applications testing of the first commercial volumes of Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) diesel produced via the Sasol Slurry Phase Distillate™ (Sasol SPD™) process, a Low Temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) process, at the Oryx GTL plant in Qatar. The technical literature is well populated with results of emissions and applications studies of GTL diesel; however, these results have been limited to product produced at pilot plant and relatively small commercial scale. To ensure that diesel produced commercially not only matches the performance of material previously produced at pilot plant scale using the same technology, but is also fit-for-purpose in the broader sense, a series of chemical assessments and applications testing was performed using both neat and blended diesel fuels. These included emissions tests in passenger cars and heavy-duty applications, engine durability, injector fouling performance and a passenger car fleet trial.

World wide, energy policy makers are increasingly keen to move away from petroleum based fuels to more diverse and renewable sources of energy for reasons of environmental protection, energy security and continued economic development. A well-known example is Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) diesel fuel which is derived from natural gas and thus provides a diversification away from crude oil, which is the feedstock for 97% of the world transport fuels. Towards the same goal, Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME), from vegetable oils, recycled oils, or animal fat, are being used with increasing frequency as blends with diesel fuel, even at a concentration of 30% in some captive fleets (B30). In this paper, the impacts on engine pollutant emissions and performance are evaluated.