News Flash 2 March 2010

World’s biggest wind turbine to take a spin in Norway

The world’s biggest wind turbine will be constructed in Norway. The prototype turbine will stand 162 meters (533 feet) tall and feature a rotor diameter of 145 meters (475 feet). It is expected to be capable of generating 10-megawatts – enough to power 2,000 homes. The turbine will be tested on land in Øygarden in Hordaland County, Norway, for two years but is intended for offshore placement, where the winds are stronger and more consistent, and the concerns of ruined views and vibrations are removed Read More

Cleaner, cheaper fuel from orange peels and newspaper

While it may not quite be the Mr. Fusion energy reactor Doc Brown uses to convert household scraps into power for his time-travelling DeLorean, scientists have found a way to turn discarded fruit peels, newspapers and other waste products into cheap fuel to power the world’s vehicles. Its developer says the new approach is greener and less expensive than the current methods available to run vehicles on cleaner fuel and is part of his goal to relegate gasoline to a secondary fuel. Read More

Gold nanoparticles turn light into electrical current

Turning sunlight into electrical power is all but a new problem, but recent advancements made by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have given a new twist to the subject. While not currently aimed at solar panel technology, their research has uncovered a way to turn optical radiation into electrical current that could lead to self-powering molecular circuits and efficient data storage  .Read More

Brighter, whiter clouds could fight global warming

Scientists in the US have been cloud-spotting over shipping lanes and have noticed something more interesting than teddy-bear shapes and faces. They have detected that rising steam from passing ships has caused brightening in the clouds which they theorize alters the reflectivity of the cloud and prevents the energy from reaching the Earth. They propose that if this could be achieved artificially via geoengineering it could be an effective defence against global warming. Read More

ELECTRICITY TARIFFS 
Nersa approves 24,8% Eskom tariff hike for 2010, followed by two more of 25%-plus 

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved an Eskom power tariff increase of 24,8% as from April, 1, 2010, and subsequent increase of 25,8% and 25,9% for 2011/12 and 2012/13 respectively, chairperson Cecilia Khuzwayo announced on Wednesday. In November last year, South Africa's State-owned power utility Eskom applied for increases of 35% a year over the three-year MYPD2 timeframe, having initially requested yearly increases of 45%, which it said were necessary to help.. Full Article

South Africa eyes multiple nuclear power plants

South Africa plans to build multiple nuclear plants to plug the country's power deficit and reduce its carbon footprint, a senior official said on Tuesday. Director General at the ministry of energy Nelisiwe Magubane said one plant only would not make sense economically. Full Article

POWER SYSTEM 
Social, enviro costs must be included when making power choices

South Africa should seek to calculate and recover the total costs - social, environmental and economic costs - of its electricity choices when planning for its future generation mix and industry structure, a European power-systems economic specialist told a South Africa audience on Tuesday. Speaking at the 2010 French Energy Forum, strategy and development head at EDF's insular power systems unit Vincent Baslé said that it was insufficient to focus solely on the economic costs, particularly. Full Article

ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE 
Cap of R4,5bn placed on Transnet's fuel-levy funding

State-owned transport utility Transnet has indicated that a cap of R4,5-billion has been set for the amount of capital it can extract from that portion of the increase in the fuel levy to help it fund a R12-billion fuel pipeline from Durban to Johannesburg. In his inaugural Budget address, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan confirmed an increase in the general fuel levy of 10c/l, as well as an additional 7,5c/l levy on both diesel and petrol to help fund the pipeline over the next three years. Full Article

NUCLEAR 
PBMR places hope in outcome of US programme

South Africa’s PBMR Company remains in the industrial alliance which is bidding for the second phase of the US Department of Energy’s Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) programme. This alliance is led by US company Westinghouse Electric, which is itself part of Japan’s Toshiba group. This is despite the recently revealed dramatic cut in government funding for the predominantly State-owned nuclear company, which has been developing the fourth-generation, high-temperature, gas-cooled ... Full Article

ENVIRONMENT
SA Minister concerned over mining near Mapungubwe

South Africa's Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica has voiced concern over the awarding of an "unconditional" new order mining right to emerging coal mining company Coal of Africa Limited (CoAL) for the Vele project near Mapungubwe, in Limpopo. The Department of Environmental Affairs has requested the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) for a copy of the new order mining right before deciding on the way forward in this regard … Full Article

COAL
Coal of Africa increases stake in controversial S Africa project

Mining and development company Coal of Africa (CoAL) on Thursday announced that it had increased its stake in the Vele project in South Africa to 100%, following the grant of unconditional new order mining rights for the project by the country's Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) earlier this month. The announcement comes a day after fresh concerns were raised about the project, which is situated next to the Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site in Limpopo. Full Article

Lower SA mine output knocks Riversdale’s H1 earnings

Africa-focused coal miner Riversdale Mining reported on Friday that its coal sales had increased by 70 436 t to 388 519 t during the half-year to December 31, 2009. However, lower output and yields at one of its South African operations, knocked its earnings. It said the improvement in sales reflected a recovery in the anthracite market. “Market conditions have continued to improve as customers expand their production levels from previous lows and prices realised for both domestic and export sales have increased towards the end of the first half,” the ASX-listed company said in a note to shareholders noted. Full Article

Mercuria inks 10-year deal for S Africa coal

Swiss-based energy traders Mercuria have signed a ten-year deal to market uncommitted coal from South African miner Optimum Coal Holdings' Optimum and Koornfontein mines, industry sources said on Friday. The initial tonnage is likely to be around 1,3-million tons a year from the Koornfontein mine. Full Article

Jonathan Best is Sentula's new chair

Troubled JSE-listed coal-mining and coal-services company Sentula has appointed Jonathan Best as its chairperson. Sentula said on Tuesday that Jeff Van Rooyen, Pulane Kingston and Dawn Marole had tendered their resignations as non-executive directors of Sentula in order to pursue other business interests. Full Article

Continental targets coal sales from S Africa mine in Q2