Follow us on twitter!- Email this page
- Print this page
- Home
- About Us
About Us
History of Fossil Fuel Foundation
The concept of the Fossil Fuel Foundation of Africa was born in 1994. At that time, South Africa was setting out on a new road of political stability. During the previous decade or so, there had been a dearth of interest in coal activities, many coal research and analytical laboratories had been closed, highly experienced personnel had left the industry and universities had ceased to teach coal science and technology at undergraduate level in virtually all disciplines including those required in geology, exploration, beneficiation and utilisation.
Although coal production and export had continued and indeed gained in momentum, coal was considered to be nothing more than a black Cinderella-like commodity, simple in its understanding and marketing, and merely of use for power generation, petrochemicals and export.
It was then with some surprise that, on the occasion of the Centennial of the Geological Society in 1994, a call for papers in coal and related topics resulted in the offer of thirty five papers. At the close of that conference, twenty people met to discuss the need to initiate a body for the express purpose of sharing multidisciplinary technical information on coal. This resulted in the first small colloquium held in October that year, and Lindsay Juniper from Australia was the first overseas guest.
Between 1995 and 1996, a few minor coal technical events were held. A wide diversity of interest was shown and between 1996 and 1999, the coal seminars became more popular, more papers were being submitted and it was decided to turn one of the coal colloquia into an annual major one-day event. Having been called the “Coal Indaba” for some three years, this specific event was then elevated to the level of “conference” in the newly-named series -“The South African Coal Science and Technology Conference” with “Indaba” and the specific year attached thereafter. Overseas experts were invited to give key-note speeches each year and numbers and interest again increased.
In addition to this event, a number of other events were introduced in the form of breakfasts and late afternoon events with invited speakers, and coal courses were developed for the first time for the technical public, in co-operation with the University of the Witwatersrand.
Projects were being advertised and offered through the Foundation and a number of general technical inquiries came in. It was during this period that the Foundation, i.e. a team co-ordinated by that body, was awarded the tender for researching the methane emissions from mines for the International Country Studies on Global Climate Change, as funded by the USA.
The Foundation’s database of interested parties grew significantly, and it was decided to create a formal industry- and sector-specific database in order to further the networking capacity of the Foundation, in addition to attracting paidup membership.
By 2000, the administration and database became too big for informal handling and the office was taken over by a professional secretary. The Coal Indaba Conferences in 2000 and 2001 became larger and were arranged over two days, the sessions were broadened to include wider topics and the venues became more elegant and professional. The conferences were handled by professional organisers, and fliers were professionally printed.
Other major events were arranged during this time, including the first Junior Mining Conference, a review of coal in the Waterberg Coalfield, New Developments in Geotechnology with Australian experts, the Importance of Trace Elements and their Environmental Impacts with American experts, a new series in Energy Reserves and Resources of Southern African and, late in 2001, Gas in Southern Africa. In terms of major social events, the first Annual Banquet was held in November 2001, and the first prestige Award was given to Dr Ian McRae of Eskom.
In terms of national standing, the Foundation was invited to host various delegations of senior government and industry personnel from different countries.
A webpage was developed during this period, which advertised the growing number of events being organised. In addition, membership and applications to join were now offered via internet.
The need for a more formal structure for the organisation was recognised over this period and steps were taken to create a legally-registered Trust and the organisation became VAT registered. A Board of Trustees was formulated to oversee the governance of this body.
The first Trustees, all captains of industry, were appointed and the first meeting of this body was held in October 2001. During that meeting this august body of Trustees recommended that the Foundation should become more permanent and professional by establishing a formal centralised office and that a broader vision should be considered in terms of the organisation’s role and function in the country, with newly defined mission statements, policies and strategies.
In response to these recommendations, the Foundation’s Central Council was increased to twenty five members in Gauteng, a new Regional Council was formed which now has twenty five representative in various country-wide, region-wide and international centres, and major strategic workshops for Trustees and Council Members of the Foundation are now held from time to time.
Resulting from these developments, the Foundation has continued to grow and develop whilst maintaining its primary objectives of networking, technotransfer of multidisciplinary information and the provision of nowledge- and service-based functions. Commodities of concern now include coal, oil, gas, methane (including coalbed methane) and alternative energies.
Conferences have now extended beyond coal-related disciplines to include further specialised series such as junior coal mining issues, alternative energies, biofuels and bioenergy as they relate to fossil fuel consumption, optimisation of industrial boilers, transport and logistical issues for this industry, global climate change and many others.
Conferences in regional centres and neighbouring countries are now being held and plans are afoot to extend these to African countries further afield. In this way the Foundation has become recognised as fulfilling a vital role in the country and in the region - as an independent multidisciplinary forum for the development of national policies, an independent evaluator and assessor of national and nternational issues, a co-ordinator of multidisciplinary projects, research and education, and certainly as a promoter of coal and related fossil fuel and energy commodities, industries and products through techno-transferring and networking activities throughout the region.
Future activities currently being planned include the development of national and regional directories of key personnel and organisations in coal, carbon, energy and related environments. Also planned is the compilation and publication of books and booklets on various coal and carbon-related topics, and the further development and promotion of educational courses for teaching, training and industrial use All involved in coal, carbon, energy and related environments – in whatever discipline – are warmly welcome to join as members and to contribute to this national and regional endeavour. The only qualifications required are an enthusiastic interest in the topics involved.
Back to Fossil Fuel Home
