News Flash 16 March 2010
Business Report
African clean energy projects may triple
Carbon emission reduction projects in Africa were expected to almost triple in value this year from 2008 figures, Standard Bank said …... Read More
EEPublishers
Power shortages & blackouts loom as Koeberg to shut down to repair leaks in the 2 generation units Read More
Eskom solar scheme endorsing inefficient products Read More
Eskom's secret is out. 138 companies have been paying dirt-cheap for power while households... Read More
US embassy issued a vague statement on Eskom's World Bank loan. Read More
South Africa: Optimum Coal Aims to Raise R1,6 Billion in Listing: coal mining and exploration company Optimum Coa... Read More
Mining News
Industrial Development Corporation South Africa is reportedly exploring for coal mining opportu... Read More
Carbon nanotubes offer new way to produce electricity
MIT scientists have discovered that a moving pulse of heat traveling along the miniscule wires known as carbon nanotubes can cause powerful waves of energy. These "thermopower waves" can drive electrons along like a collection of flotsam propelled along the surface of ocean waves, creating an electrical current. The previously unknown phenomenon opens up a new area of energy research and could lead to a new way of producing electricity. Read More
Secret Energy Turbine: rooftop wind power in stealth mode
Few people would argue that having a rooftop wind turbine could help offset your power bills. Your neighbors, however, might not appreciate the sight of a windmill on your roof, nor would they like the sound of its blades whistling through the air. Don’t give up on the idea yet, though, because British inventor Rupert Sweet-Escott has come up with a product that he claims addresses those problems. His Secret Energy Turbine (SET) looks like an ordinary chimney stack and is boasts almost completely silent operation. Read More
Eyewitnessnews
W.Cape wine farmers object to mining on their land
The African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation is lobbying to mine tin, silver and other minerals in three winelands districts. However, Durbanville, Kuils River and Stellenbosch farmers have vehemently opposed the move, handing over more than 2 500 objections to the corporation.. Read More
Business Day
In climate change hot seat: Van Schalkwyk may be able to make a difference
TOURISM Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has worked hard over the years to shed his image as the overly junior head of the disintegrating New National Party. Since then he seems to have outgrown his tainted roots, gaining due recognition as the skilful politician and diplomat that he has become. Read More
Extracts from Creamer’s “Engineering News”.
SPECIAL POWER DEALS
Eskom in ‘advanced', but confidential talks on five discounted power contracts
Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan has appealed for the public to accept the prevailing condition of confidentiality surrounding negotiations between Eskom and two companies regarding five discounted power contracts, which were not subject to tariff increases. Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Friday, Hogan stressed that the negotiations were at an advanced stage and that government had agreed to allow Eskom and the two international resources groups to proceed with these in.. Full Article.
COAL-TO-LIQUIDS
Sasol to make investment call this year on $10bn China CTL project
Energy and chemicals group Sasol would make an investment decision on what could be a $10-billion coal-to-liquids (CTL) project in China during the 2010 calendar year, CEO Pat Davies reported on Monday. The project, which had been reconfigured from an 80 000 bbl/d plant to 90 000 bbl/d, would be the JSE-listed group's first CTL investment outside South Africa, where the technology is used to produce about 40% of the country's fuel. Full Article
CLIMATE CHANGE
IMF working on $100bn ‘green fund’ – Strauss-Kahn
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was “working on the idea of a green fund” to raise $100-billion a year by 2020 to mitigate the impacts of climate change on developing economies, IMF MD Dominique Strauss-Kahn told a conference in Kenya on Monday. He noted that climate change could “well be the shock to end all shocks”, with the amount of resources needed to mitigate climate change having clear macroeconomic implications. Full Article
African universities should step up climate research – Sonjica
It was essential to strengthen the capacity of African universities to embrace and be involved in global climate change research, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said .. Read More
RENEWABLE ENERGY
IDC takes stake in Kenya wind project
Kenya's Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) said on Wednesday it will offload a 70% stake in its wind energy project to South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation and London-based energy firm Aldwych International. LTWP is building a 300 MW wind farm in Kenya, with the first 50 MW feeding into the national grid by the end of June 2011. Full Article
Van Schalkwyk nominated to succeed De Boer as UN climate chief
The South African government has put forward the name of Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk to the United Nations (UN) to potentially lead the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The current UNFCCC executive secretary Yvo de Boer resigned from the position with effect July 1. Full Article
NUCLEAR
Sarkozy endorses nuclear, promises French expertise to developing countries
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has blasted those who oppose further global economic growth, strongly endorsed nuclear power as a key source of energy for the future and pledged French help to developing countries seeking to develop nuclear energy. Speaking at the opening of the International Conference on Access to Civil Nuclear Energy in Paris on Monday, he pointed out that the world's population was increasing and getting richer and cited the International Energy Agency's forecast... Full Article
US backing for safe global civil nuclear expansion
Countries that support non-proliferation of nuclear weapons will have no opposition from the US if they seek to adopt civil nuclear power. "We support the adoption of [civil] nuclear energy by countries who are living up to their non-proliferation obligations," assured US Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel B Poneman at a small press conference just after the conclusion of the International Conference on Access to Civil Nuclear Energy, in Paris, on Tuesday. Full Article
ELECTRICITY
Sappi says SA power crunch coming
South African paper group Sappi, which is to supply state utility Eskom with 45 MW power from its plants, said on Friday companies should prepare for another power crunch by cutting their reliance on Eskom and on fossil fuel wherever possible. In late 2008, a series of blackouts crippled gold and platinum production facilities in South Africa, sending prices for both commodities soaring. Full Article
Extracts from Creamer’s “Mining Weekly”
COAL
SA worries over rising Asia coal demand
South Africa must make it a priority to secure internal coal supply to meet domestic energy needs against rising demand from Asia, a government minister said on Friday. South Africa relies on coal-fired power stations to generate about 95% of the electricity in Africa's biggest economy. Full Article
Sasol allocates R 3.1. bn for new export coal mine
Coal miner Sasol has allocated R3,1-billion for the new export coal mine to replace the depleting Twisdraai operation. The Thubelisha export coal mine, already under construction, will also supply Sasol's synfuels factory in Secunda, in Mpumalanga province. Sasol Mining's output in the six months to December 31 was up 6%, but its profit of R170-million was down 88%, owing to weak rand export prices. Full Article
Xstrata confirms ‘strategic review’ of Mpumalanga complex
Diversified miner Xstrata has confirmed that it is conducting a "strategic review" of its coal operations in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. This comes as market speculation did the rounds on Monday that the Swiss-based miner was planning to sell its highest-cost thermal coal mines in South Africa. Full Article
COAL NEGOTIATIONS
BHP agrees shorter-term coal deals with European, Asian customers
Diversified miner BHP Billiton on Monday reported that it had reached sales terms for a significant portion of its hard coking coal volumes for 2010, with customers in Europe, China, India and Japan. The world’s number-one coking coal miner said that the deals were based on a “structural change” to shorter-term market based pricing for the contract period. Full Article
EXPLORATION
Sasol wants to explore for shale gas in the Karoo
Gas-to-liquids (GTL) producer Sasol has applied to explore for shale gas in the Karoo, together with Chesapeake Energy and Statoil ASA. The application is for an onshore right to search for the natural shale-based gas, which has already caused Sasol's GTL price to soar. In converting gas into oil using GTL technology, Sasol effectively speeds up Mother Nature by a couple million years and current crude oil prices expressed as a multiple of natural gas prices show Sasol's GTL to be in a sweet spot. Full Article
