Follow us on twitter!News Flash 15 February 2010
Emerging Technology Magazine
Modular SunSine solar panels from GreenRay will generate AC power
Solar power start-up GreenRay Inc. has developed the SunSine AC “solar appliance” that integrates the complex components of conventional solar power systems into modular, plug-and-play panels for easier installation, reduced cost, and increased safety. GreenRay designed the SunSine AC to produce standard alternating current (AC) electricity that is suitable for use in homes and small businesses, and the company hopes that by simplifying the technology and making it more affordable, it can make solar power more accessible to homeowners. Read More
Calera and Novacem use concrete to capture CO2
Concrete seems pretty inoffensive. It just looks like mud, and appears to do nothing except sit there and harden. The fact is, though, concrete is the world's third-largest source of man-made carbon dioxide. Its production process accounts for at least 5% of the CO2 our species pumps into the atmosphere annually. Apparently, however, it doesn't have to be that way. Two companies are now using different technologies that not only make concrete carbon-neutral, they actually make it carbon-negative. Read More
The expansion of wind energy in South Africa could have ”cumulative impact” on the country’s birds, an environmental group says……
Extracts from Creamer’s “Engineering News”
NUCLEAR
Morale boost for PBMR as it joins forces with Japanese group
South Africa’s PBMR company on Thursday announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan concerning the exploration of cooperation regarding the construction of the first PBMR for a customer, whether in South Africa or abroad. The signing of this MoU took place on Wednesday, February 3. “We firmly believe that high temperature reactors will be one of the viable future reactors,” said MHI Executive Vice-President and GM:... Full Article
ELECTRICITY
SA power consumption up 7,5% in Dec
South Africa’s power consumption jumped 7,5% year-on-year to 18 850 GWh in December, its biggest increase since February 2004 when consumption rose 6,9% year-on-year, official data by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) showed on Thursday. Electricity usage for the three months ended December 31, 2009, rose by 3%, or 1 680 GWh to 57 999 GWh, compared with 56 319 GWh used in the fourth quarter of 2008. Full Article
CLIMATE CHANGE
Companies feel threatened by climate fight - UN chief
Certain countries and companies feel threatened by growing efforts against climate change, the UN climate chief said on Thursday, after other officials spoke of a campaign to undermine a consensus on global warming. Yvo de Boer spoke amid a controversy over an incorrect projection on glacial melting by the United Nations climate panel, which drew into focus the panel's credibility and led to personal attacks on its chief, Rajendra Pachauri. Full Article
CLIMATE CHANGE
SA signs climate cooperation agreement with Australia
Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica and Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean on Friday signed a letter of intent that would frame future bilateral cooperation on climate change matters. Australia and South Africa have been cooperating on climate change matters under a climate change partnership since 2006. Full Article
CLIMATE TALKS
Copenhagen generates more heat than light for business and policymakers
Those who were expecting clarity and resolution on how the world would tackle climate change beyond 2012 to emerge from the Copenhagen conference in December will have to wait. The fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement that many were hoping would come out of the fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) did not emerge. Full Article
FIFA WORLD CUP
Chinese firm becomes World Cup’s first green energy sponsor
New York-listed renewable energy company Yingli Green Energy has become the first-ever renewable energy company to be a sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, as well as being the first Chinese company to seal a global sponsorship deal with the football governing body. "I am extremely pleased that Yingli has chosen to support 20 centres for 2010, the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, by providing solar panels and committing to our efforts to create a better environment, as embodied by... Full Article
ELECTRICITY
Mmamabula cannot proceed without regulatory certainty - CIC
Toronto-listed energy company CIC Energy on Wednesday reiterated that it could not proceed with the Botswana-based Mmamabula project without regulatory approvals from the South African government. CIC Energy president Greg Kinross said at a conference in Cape Town that the regulatory uncertainties were the biggest challenge confronting the advancement of the project. Full Article
ELECTRICITY
Wildly divergent municipal power tariffs a concern – Peters
The transformation of South Africa's electricity distribution activities and the equitable applications of tariffs for all, were two vital challenges being faced by the country, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters asserted on Tuesday. Speaking at an electricity dialogue, hosted by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) in Johannesburg, the Minister emphasised the importance of transferring South Africa's electricity distribution assets and activities to the regional electricity... Full Article
ESKOM TARIFFS
Eskom application is a farce − DA
The current Eskom application for a 35% percent electricity tariff increase is a farce, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday. The tariff − brought before the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) − was in fact "null-and-void" as the application did not include enough renewable energy sources as required by law, the DA said in a statement. Full Article
POWER GENERATION
Anglo may consider investing in Eskom stations - report
International mining group Anglo American would consider an investment into one of the two new coal-fired power stations in being built by South Africa's Eskom in order to secure its own electricity supply, a leading media group reported on Wednesday. Quoting CEO Cynthia Carroll, Sake24.com reported that Anglo would also consider investing in a power station if necessary. But Carroll stressed that such an investment would not be on a "grand scale” and that Anglo would not want to be an... Full Article
COEGA SMELTER
Rio Tinto criticises SA for Coega power pullout
Diversified miner Rio Tinto on Tuesday criticised South Africa for reneging on the Coega aluminium smelter agreement. Rio Tinto CE diamonds and minerals Harry Kenyon-Slaney told a mining conference in Cape Town that South Africa's cancellation of the electricity agreement was not condusive to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). "The recent cancellation of the electricity agreement with Eskom led to the cancellation of the project. This cancellation will not induce foreign direct... Full Article
COAL & POWER
Eskom, Transnet study Mpumalanga, Waterberg rail options
Power utility Eskom had set up a work group with fellow State-owned enterprise Transnet to interrogate rail logistics solutions as part of a long-term coal-supply strategy for its power stations, chief officer Brian Dames told lawmakers this week. Long-term road and conveyor options were also being pursued. Currently, only its Majuba facility, in KwaZulu-Natal, had rail-offloading facilities, but work was also under way on a range of other possible developments, including a containerised... Full Article
LOW CARBON JOBS
SA's renewable sector could create over 145 000 jobs by 2020
A recent report from international research organisation the Global Climate Network (GCN) has indicated that some 36 400 new direct jobs, and 109 100 indirect jobs could be created in the renewable energy sector in South Africa by 2020. Furthermore, as many as 700 000 people could be employed in the biofuels industry in South Africa, the report entitled ‘Low carbon jobs in an interconnected world' stated. Full Article
Extracts from Creamer’s “Mining Weekly
SOUTH AFRICA
Nationalisation debate may hurt SA's reputation - Greenhill
The nationalisation of the mines debate, which has become a hot topic in recent days, could have a negative impact on attracting foreign direct investment into South Africa and raising capital on foreign markets for local mining projects. While the debate on nationalisation had not had a noticeable effect on the local bourse to date, JSE business development and marketing director Noah Greenhill told Mining Weekly Online that such a public debate was not good for South Africa's reputation as an attractive investment destination. Full Article
COAL
Firestone JV's Waterberg mine to cost $400m, study shows
ASX- and JSE-listed Firestone Energy and its joint-venture (JV) partner in South Africa’s Waterberg region, Sekoko Coal, would have to invest about $400-million to develop an opencast mine at its Smitspan property. The coal exploration company on Wednesday reported that a prefeasibility study (PFS) had revealed that the Smitspan property could ramp up to production of seven-million tons a year of saleable coal over a 21-year life-of-mine. Full Article
COAL
Bisichi switches to opencast mining in SA
The South African subsidiary of London-listed coal-miner Bisichi Mining, Black Wattle Colliery, has been granted approval by the Department of Mineral Resources to mine all opencast reserves at the colliery. The coal-miner told shareholders in a statement on Friday that a switch to opencast mining at the colliery, which is situated in Middelburg, in South Africa's Mpumalanga province, has allowed the miner to lower its production costs, increase its washing plant yields and to mine its reserves more flexibly. Full Article
HEALTH & SAFETY
South Africa mine safety regulation to tighten in 2010
Official statistics related to the deaths of mineworkers in South Africa have not been released, but sources indicate that the death toll has breached the 140 mark, an average of 11 deaths a month in 2009. While there has been significant improvement in mine safety in the past decade, the consensus is that one death is one too many. But the tide appears to be turning for the mining sector’s tarnished safety image, which is described as one of the world’s most unsafe working cultures. Full Article
