Founder of Andre Steynberg Consulting LLC
Chemical engineer, energy technology specialist
André founded Andre Steynberg Consulting LLC in 2016 to apply his specialist knowledge and proven ability to facilitate the deployment of new technology for the oil, gas and chemical industries. He has directed and facilitated the commercial application of 5 first-of-a-kind synthesis gas conversion technologies. He has worked extensively on the development and first commercial application of improved technology for the conversion of natural gas to liquid hydrocarbon products (commonly referred to as Gas-to-Liquids or GTL technology).
The core technology used in the GTL process is referred to as Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology. André is the co-editor of a book with the title “Fischer-Tropsch Technology” published by Elsevier in 2004. He has worked on technology developments in this technology field for decades.
While working for Sasol in South Africa (for 34 years), he was involved in setting the design basis for the commercial scale GTL facilities now in operation in Mossel Bay, South Africa, Ras Laffan, Qatar and Escravos, Nigeria. He is named as an inventor on 30 patents and has considerable experience in facilitating the generation of new IP and opposing competitor patent applications at the European Patent Office.
André was part of the team which searched the world to find the best technology partner for the natural gas reforming process used to produce synthesis gas. This led to a mutually beneficial collaboration with Haldor Topsøe and the use of their synthesis gas technology for GTL applications. André managed the collaborative technology development and demonstration involving Haldor Topsøe (as Sasol’s Reforming Technology Manager) for several years.
Formerly, he was the Sasol GTL Technology Manager during the existence of the Sasol Chevron JV and he managed the Sasol technology development programs bringing important improvements to the status of being ready for commercial deployment.
While with Velocys Inc. (as the GTL Technology Specialist from November 2014 to September 2016), he managed the pilot plant demonstration programs and contributed to the transition from pilot plant scale demonstration to commercial operation. As a member of the technology review board, he was involved in defining the technology developments.
André holds an MSc Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and he also has degrees from the University of South Africa in business (BCom) and legal (LLB) fields. He has lectured on hydrocarbon processing at the University of Natal, where he obtained his BSc degree, and has presented extensively at international conferences.
