News Flash 2 February 2010
Financial Mail
COSTS DOWN THE LINE
For the fourth consecutive year, SA's coal exports through Richards Bay have declined (see graph) because of rail inefficiencies. But at least this year Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) does have good news for someone.
For the benefit of all exporters, Transnet needs to sort out its inefficiencies. Coal analyst and Africoal Energy Review editor Xavier Prevost says the utility is still the main culprit for the low export volumes last year. "The stocks at port are very low," he says, adding that coal has been accumulating at the mines, waiting to be railed. ...more
Scientists in mining study ask for action
Reasearchers: U.S. should stop mountaintop removal
Mountaintop coal mining -- in which Appalachian peaks are blasted off and stream valleys buried under tons of rubble -- is so destructive that the government should stop giving out new permits to do it, a group of scientists said in a paper released Thursday. (David A. Fahrenthold) Full article »
Monday, January 25, 2010
U.N. Official Says Climate Deal Is at Risk
By JOHN M. BRODER and ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
Facing a Jan. 31 deadline, major countries have yet to submit their plans for reducing emissions of climate-altering gases.
EXTRACTS FROM CREAMER’S “ENGINEERING NEWS”
CLIMATE CHANGE
'Basic' country bloc agrees to 2010 climate timetable
The environmental Ministers of the so-called Basic group of countries, comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China, have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring an agreed outcome at the global climate change conference scheduled for Mexico toward the end of 2010. The Basic countries also agreed to coordinate their positions closely as part of climate change discussions in other forums, and emphasised the importance of working with other members of Group of 77 and China, in order to... Full Article
TARIFF HEARINGS
Large energy consumers don't see Kusile as dripping roast investment
South Africa's Energy Intensive User Group has questioned whether there would be any investor appetite for a 30% interest in the "expensive" Kusile power station and indicated that it might be more beneficial to open up other Eskom assets for sale to private investors. Speaking during the Gauteng leg of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's (Nersa's) public hearings into Eskom's tariff application, the EIUG's Ian Langridge said that, through no fault of its own, Eskom had procured... Full Article
ESKOM TARIFFS
Steep power tariff hike will lead to illegal connections - SAIEE
Eskom's proposed 35% tariff hike would lead to more illegal connections because electricity users could not afford power, the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers said on Monday. "This tariff hike will have far-reaching implications. One of them will be the escalation of energy theft," the institute's president Du Toit Grobler told hearings in Durban, organised by the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa). Full Article
Eskom in advanced talks with World Bank for $3,7bn loan
South Africa's coal-heavy power utility Eskom was in advanced discussion with the World Bank to secure a $3,7-billion loan for its capital programmes, including $500-million for a concentrated solar power plant (CSP). Speaking at the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's public hearings in Midrand on Thursday, acting chairperson and CEO Mpho Makwana said that the negotiations were at an advanced stage. Full Article
POWER CONSERVATION
Rules for power-consumption baselines close to finalisation
The final draft technical specifications outlining how power-consumption and -allocation baselines should be calculated have been completed and are being prepared for publication, opening the way for the implementation of the much-discussed power conservation programme (PCP), probably initially involving the country's 300 largest electricity users. The chairperson of the PCP task force within the National Electricity Response Team, Mike Rossouw, tells Engineering News Online that the... Full Article
RENEWABLE ENERGY
UK firm enters SA renewable energy market
UK-based Renewable Energy Systems (RES) has announced its entry into the South African renewable energy market with the acquisition of a portfolio of wind power projects from Cape Town-based South African Renewable Green Energy. RES, which is in the process of establishing an office in Cape Town, said that the projects, located in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, were in the early stages of development, and have an estimated installed capacity of about 300 MW. Full Article
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Eskom’s new-look rebate hinges on tariff approval
Funding for the increased rebate through Eskom's solar water heater (SWH) programme would be derived from the electricity tariff, as was the case with all projects under the utility's demand-side management (DSM) programme, the utility has confirmed. The Eskom SWH rebate was aimed at incentivising the roll-out of SWHs across the country, and was also aligned with the greater national SWH strategy of installing one-million solar water heaters by 2014, endorsed by the Department of Energy (DoE). Full Article
RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY
SA joins global renewable energy body
South Africa has officially joined the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), after President Jacob Zuma authorised Energy Minister Dipuo Peters to sign statutes joining the organisation and to participate as a full member in all its deliberations. Previously South Africa was an observer country to the agency, and did not have full membership of this body, which was established in January 2009, and would be headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Full Article
ELECTRICITY
Zimbabwe says upholding Namibia power export deal
Zimbabwe will not stop power exports to Namibia and will uphold a 2007 deal signed by the two countries despite struggling to meet its own domestic demand, the Energy Minister said on Tuesday. Namibia's NamPower entered a $40-million agreement to refurbish ZESA's 400 MW Hwange Power Station, in return for 150 MW of power over five years. Full Article
ELECTRICITY
Mozambique approves new coal-fired power station
Australian coal producer Riversdale Mining has received environmental approval from Mozambique for the construction of its Benga power plant. The power station, which would be developed in two stages, would help meet increasing regional demand for electricity in Mozambique and South Africa, the coal-miner said in a statement on Monday. Full Article
FIFA WORLD CUP
Big interventions needed to offset World Cup carbon emissions
With an estimated carbon footprint of 2 753 250 t of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e), the FIFA 2010 World Cup, in South Africa, would have the largest carbon footprint of any major international sporting event, and would need major interventions to achieve the ambition of leaving a positive environmental legacy. The massive footprint was largely owing to the significant distance that many international spectators would need to travel to get to South Africa. Because of its location, almost... Full Article
CLEAN TECHNOLOGY
SA gets additional finance for clean technology projects
The $500-million which was endorsed for South Africa in October under the international Clean Technology Fund (CTF), has enabled the government to leverage about three times the amount of additional finance for clean technology projects. "We have now got $1,6-billion that has been leveraged out of that [CTF], and it looks as if there can be more leveraged," said Environmental Affairs DDG Joanne Yawitch on Thursday. Full Article
EXTRACTS FROM CREAMER'S "MINING WEEKLY"
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Exxaro’s 100-MW wind farm study progresses
Diversified miner Exxaro Resources would start installing the first of three anemometry masts at its Namakwa Sands operation, on South Africa’s west coast, from January 19, a company official said this week. The masts would obtain on-site wind data to evaluate the wind resource potential at Brand-se-baai, where Exxaro was investigating the feasibility of constructing a 100-MW wind farm. Full Article
COAL
Study on Tanzania coal project advancing – Atomic
Coal and uranium explorer Atomic Resources would complete a bankable feasibility study (BFS) for the Ngaka coal project, in Tanzania, in early 2010. The company said in a statement on Friday that most of the key elements of the BFS had now been completed and the outstanding elements were expected to be finalised within a few weeks. Full Article
Miranda appoints Stefanutti Stocks as mining contractor
South African coal junior Miranda has appointed Stefanutti Stocks Mining Services as the contractor to conduct the opencast mining at the Sesikhona project, in KwaZulu-Natal. Miranda said in a statement on Monday that it was finalising a mine plan for Sesikhona and that it was in “advanced discussions” to complete an anthracite off-take agreement, after which mining could start in 30 days. Full Article
COAL
Coal of Africa completes R467m NuCoal acquisition
South Africa-focused coal-miner Coal of Africa Limited (CoAL) has completed its R467-million acquisition of coal-junior NuCoal Mining. The ASX-, Aim- and JSE-listed company told shareholders in a statement on Tuesday that all suspensive conditions had now been fulfilled. Full Article
