Climate change no-go areas
Parts of the world could become uninsurable if climate change was not checked, the head of the insurance industry’s international ClimateWise initiative said on Friday. Andrew Torrance, the chief executive of Allianz Insurance told a UN Environmental Programme conference that climate modelling clearly predicted that global warming would increase the frequency and severity of weather catastrophes. Insurers were taking an active and public role in climate change talks, he said. – SAPA.
EU Grid not fit for renewables
Europe's electricity grid is unable to distribute the renewable energy capacity that governments have committed to building
EXTRACTS FROM CREAMER’S “ENGINEERING NEWS”
Fuel cells can play a big role in plugging Africa's power deficit in a greener way, with commercialisation seen within a decade, an official at Anglo Platinum (Angloplat) said. Angloplat, the world's top producer of the precious metal, launched a demonstration fuel cell plant in South Africa's Limpopo province to produce 200 kilowatts of electricity by converting coal-bed methane (CBM) gas into hydrogen. Full Article
RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPONENTS
SA engineering firm developing new heliostat gearbox
As South Africa seeks to scale up its renewable energy power generation capacity, particularly with concentrating solar power (CSP), opportunities for local manufacture of components are also being investigated. South Africa-based Cheshire Engineering director Joseph Steele is working to design and prove ‘The Kimberley Mechanism’, which he says is a cost effective heliostat gearbox, which could be manufactured at a fraction of the current cost of conventional heliostat gearboxes. Full Article
SOLAR ENERGY
Newly launched initiative to strenghten solar research capabilitiesA three-year ‘Soltrain’ regional solar thermal initiative has been launched in Pretoria and was said to be on course to develop solar research capabilites in southern Africa. Soltrain is sponsored by the Austrian Development Agency, and is aimed at transforming energy systems from fossil based to more sustainable solar energies, specifically targeting solar thermal applications in South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Full Article
RENEWBLE ENERGY
Belgium company plans R1,2bn Eastern Cape wind farm
Belgium’s largest renewable energy producer, Electrawinds Belgium, is planning to build a R1,2-billion wind farm in the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), in the Eastern Cape. The company is currently finalising a feasibility study for setting up the commercial wind farm, the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) announced on Friday. Full Article
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Turton urges SA to integrate water, energy and agricultural policies
South Africa must link its water, energy, and food security policies, urged Touchstone Resources director Dr. Anthony Turton, emphasising that the relationship between these three areas was inseparable. Focusing on the interdependence of these systems, Turton explained that South Africa’s resource constraints to growth and development were energy, and water, and argued that the country’s energy constraint was largely defined by water. Full Article
POWER CRISIS
DA calls for Maroga to resign as it issues details of confidential Eskom skills report
A confidential Eskom report shows a vacancy rate of 50% in key posts during the load shedding crisis, the Democratic Alliance said on Monday. Cobus Schmidt, DA shadow deputy minister of energy, said his party was in possession of the report from Eskom's Corporate Technical Audit Department authored in late 2007, and circulated internally just a few months before the country was hit by major electricity supply shortages. Full Article
PRIMARY ENERGY
SA to sign long-term coal contracts end-2010, says Hogan
South Africa expects to sign long-term supply contracts for its fleet of coal-fired power stations, including two new 4,800 MW plants, by the end of next year, Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan said on Monday. Power utility Eskom has commissioned the new Medupi and Kusile power stations as part of a 385 billion rand expansion programme, to help meet rising demand in Africa's largest economy battling with power shortages. Full Article
CLIMATE POLICY
SA will not commit to growth-threatening climate targets
The South African government would establish a reconfigured inter-Ministerial committee to formulate a national programme for climate change, as well as the country's formal negotiation stance ahead of global climate negotiations in December. But Cabinet reiterated on Thursday that it was not ready to agree to any targets at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, that would undermine South Africa's growth trajectory. Full Article
ELECTRICITY
CIC Energy 'optimistic' about Eskom dealCIC Energy Corp is "optimistic" it will be able to sign a 30-year agreement with South Africa's utility Eskom to purchase power from its Mmamabula project in Botswana, an official said on Thursday. CIC president Gregory Kinross said South Africa's power needs were much bigger than the expansion programme so far planned by Eskom, and the country would therefore require independent power producers (IPPs) like CIC to pitch in. Full Article
EXTRACTS FROM CREAMER’S “MINING WEEKLY”
COAL
India MMTC tender set to boost SA coalRiversdale signs Mozambique power project deal
ASX-listed coal-miner Riversdale Mining and its joint venture (JV) partner, Elgas SARL, have signed a framework agreement for the development of the Benga power project, in Mozambique, with Mozambican Energy Minister Salvador Namburete. The proposed mine-mouth coal-fired thermal power station would be situated in Mozambique’s Tete province, near Riversdale’s Benga coal project, which would supply thermal coal to the plant. Full Article
COAL
Firestone says SA coal pre-feasibility study nearing completion
JSE- and ASX-listed coal explorer Firestone Energy on Tuesday reported that the prefeasibility study of its joint venture (JV) Waterberg coal project was approaching completion, and that draft reports were currently being reviewed. Firestone said in a statement that during the quarter ended September, the company’s focus had been on completing the preparations and compilations of supporting documents for the mining right application, as well as the prefeasibility study. Full Article
COAL
Miranda Minerals’ Burnside project granted mining rights
South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources has granted JSE-listed Miranda Minerals mining rights for its Burnside coal project, in KwaZulu-Natal. The Burnside project, which had an indicated resource of 18,9-million tons and an inferred resource of 16,6-million tons, stretched over 4 540 ha. Full Article
