Čhetáŋ Sápa CTL

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Image of the Coal Plant from 2014

Čhetáŋ Sápa CTL is a synthetic fuel plant owned by Union Electric at Hahanache, Wospibitha in Mniohuta. It uses coal liquefaction to produce petroleum-like synthetic crude oil from coal. The process used by Union Electric is based on the Fischer–Tropsch process. It is the largest and only coal liquefaction plant in Mniohuta and the largest single emitter of greenhouse gas in Mniohuta.

Construction of the plant started in 1993 and it was commissioned in 1999. Trial operation started in mid-2003. Since November 2004, it is fully operational. It uses 4,000 tonnes of coal per day, and can produce 1,000 tonnes of oil. Daily output capacity is 5,000 barrels of petroleum per day. For each tonne of product, it uses 7-12 tonnes of fresh water, and outputs 4.8 tonnes of waste water and 9 tonnes of CO2.

91% of the petroleum produced at the plant is made for export to Phansi Uhlanga, while the remained stays in circulation in Mniohuta.

2021 Bombing Attempt

On the morning of November 14th, 2021, around 4 AM, a van was parked by the eastern gate of the plant near the petroleum storage. The van was full of material meant for manure that was to be distributed in Kanze the following day, alongside several explosives. At 5:45 AM, an hour before workers were to report for duty, the van was detonated by way of cellphone bomb, causing storage units 3 and 8 to catch fire. The fast reaction of the workers to put out the fire prevented it from spreading to other units or leading to any larger damage to the facility, and by the next week both tanks were operational. Wichahpi Háŋska was identified as a person of interest by akíčhita in nearby Hahanache and was apprehended on November 15th, and she turned herself in that afternoon.

Because no lives were lost, and the explosion failed to leave any meaningful damage, she was brought before a sentencing circle composed of members of the union of the plant, who sentenced her to a year of residence at the Kanze Restoration Center. She has since returned to the plant on several occasions to deliver her apologies to the workers for her brash actions, but has continued to conduct several non-violent protests outside of the center.