25Degrees in Africa JNL 1'10 by Media in Africa

Vol 5 No 1 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; R49

Copenhagen: no fiery accord

Country profile:

Angola

Open doors for

IPPs

Locally made

solar energy products

Contents No 1 2010

cover story Tackling the burning issue of climate change The COP15 meeting in Copenhagen in December saw 35 000 people descend on one of the most important events in history. Amidst accounts of the hampered local infrastructure due to the masses of people, there was strong representation from politicians, business, civil society and the public and visualisation of the impacts of climate change abounded. The cover is of a floating Perspex cube which by day highlighted the GHG emissions and by night would light up in a variety of colours representing the impacts of climate change. Read more from page 20.

Enervations

Biofuels

Energy efficiency

Advanced solar map

26 Rwanda gets financial boost

44 World Energy Summit

Less CO2 more driving performance

27 Bioenergy Markets Africa

46 Eskomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 design competition

Plug-in Hybrid

28 Bioenergy potential - 2050 mark

48 First Green Star rated building

10 View your energy use 12 Commercial solar air-conditioning systems

52 Green trucking options

Renewables 32 Local solar energy products

CDM

Country profile

34 Wind turbines

56 Water related issues

14 An overview on Angola

36 Solar water heaters

57 2009 NBI annual report back

37 40-million EUR for projects

Climate change

Instant update

17 Climate action tracker

Nuclear energy

58 Waste management in Nigeria

18 The leaked draft at Copenhagen

38 Emerging countries in Africa

60 Solar energy in Kenya

19 Over 2000 registered CDM projects 20 Post COP 15

64 Reduced carbon footprint

Electricity

44 Eskom appoints three seniors

40 SA opens door for IPPs

Oil and gas

41 $54-million order from Eskom

Energy events

24 Impacts that oil and gas companies face

43 Governmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; role in energy services

66 Energy events

www.25degrees.net

Comment The climate change debate The beginning of 2010 has turned out to be extremely interesting. I attended several exciting events, but will refer to only two here. One was the formal launch of the Global Climate Network in South Africa with a Keynote Address by Her Excellency, the British High Commissioner to South Africa, Dr. Nicola Brewer. The other was an exclusive panel discussion on the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. Chaired by Simon Retallack, Associate Director and Head of Climate Change, Institute for Public Policy Research, the discussion was open, uncensored and, despite the differing viewpoints of the panellists, generally really positive.

Publisher:

Media in Africa (Pty) Ltd www.mediainafrica.co.za • www.25degrees.net International Contact Information: Tel: +27 12 347 7530 • Fax: +27 12 347 7523 E-mail: marlene@25degrees.net Postal Address: PO Box 25260, Monument Park, 0105 Republic of South Africa Physical Address: First Floor, Unit G, Castle Walk Corporate Park Cnr Nossob & Swakop Streets, Erasmuskloof Ext. 3, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa

The 25º In Africa team: One of the issues raised was the role of business in terms of giving practical advice and input to government and policymakers regarding the mechanisms. How will the mechanism work? How will it be implemented? How big is business’ role and accountability? When can we expect a price signal around carbon? Clarification of these questions will see a big push from business to commit to their own reductions and align their strategies and processes with it. It was interesting to note the concern around the lack of clarity regarding South African government’s emission reduction targets: how were these targets qualified? What are the conditionalities? There is an obvious need for government to engage with business, civil society and the public on this issue and clarify their stance as well as formally announce their strategy and thinking. Despite a lot of criticism in the media, Copenhagen (and the actions leading up to it) has certainly done one thing: it has cemented the fact that climate change is more than an environmental issue. How this will unfold over the next year will be telling and extremely exciting. You can follow it all here.

Marlene E van Rooyen 25º in Africa: Africa’s Independent Energy Publication covers the whole gamut of energy sources, production needs, environmental impacts and the current issues surrounding them. 25º in Africa’s mission is to disseminate information on any and all energy-related issues, with an emphasis on developments in Africa and the impact on the environment. The focus of the publication is on energy generation, but it carries related information to provide a broad, unbiased and independent view of all the pertinent issues.

Copyright: The copyright for all content of this publication is strictly reserved. No part of this may be copied in part or fully without the express written permission of the editor. Disclaimer: Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editorial team or its agents. Although the utmost care is taken to ensure accuracy of the published content, the publisher, editor and journalists cannot be held liable for inaccurate information contributed, supplied or published. Contributions: The editor welcomes contributions and encourages items of interest to our readers in the energy sector. All advertisements and editorials are placed solely at the discretion of the editor and subject to prior approval. 25º in Africa reserves the right to edit, withhold or alter any editorial material to complement the style of the publication. Subscriptions: 25º in Africa is published bi-monthly as a print publication. 25º in Africa is also available as a free web download. For more information, please contact the editor or editor’s assistant on Tel: +27 347 7530 or visit us on www.25degrees.net

Editor Marlene van Rooyen Tel: +27 83 327 3746 E-mail: marlene@25degrees.net Founder Schalk Burger (1943 – 2006) senior Sales executive Andre de Wit Tel: +27 84 513 2580 E-mail: andredw@25degrees.net Journalist Adriénne Brookbanks Tel: +27 82 468 4566 business unit coordinator Zuerita Gouws Tel: +27 12 347 7530 E-mail: zuerita@25degrees.net Industry Consultant Lourens van Rensburg E-mail: lourens@25degrees.net Imbewu Sustainability Andrew Gilder – Climate change and CDM legal specialist Publishing Manager Liezel van der Merwe Financial Manager Fanie Venter Design and Layout Ilze Pohl Accountant Sietske Rossouw E-mail: sietske@mediainafrica.net Proofreader Hesca Joubert Reproduction & Printing Business Print Centre

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Advanced

solar map

expands its coverage

Seattle-based 3TIER is one of the largest independent providers of wind, solar and hydro energy assessment and power forecasting in the world and the company recently announced the geographical expansion of its advanced solar map and dataset. This suite of solar assessment products was previously only available for the Western Hemisphere, now includes Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania.

he new solar map and dataset include the rapidly growing solar power markets of India, Australia, and Japan. These added regions will now have access to 3TIER’s state-of-the-art tools that enable installers, developers, financiers, and governments to identify and fully understand their solar resources to better target investment and guide policy.

Changing what we know about energy production

“As these regions begin developing their abundant solar resource, it is critical that they fully understand both the long-term potential and inherent variability of the resource,” said Kenneth Westrick, founder and CEO of 3TIER. “Our assessment technology provides the solar irradiance and atmospheric information that is required to make solar power a viable alternative.”

“If we want nations to capitalise on domestic and sustainable energy sources, they need information about what renewable energy resources, or combination of resources, exist,” explains Westrick. “REmapping is a sophisticated mapping technology initiative to show where renewable resources are, and change the way we look at the world’s energy production options.”

Westrick believes that India is a good example of a region with tremendous solar potential, but there’s more spatial variability than one might expect and the monsoon (together with other seasonal effects) will greatly impact solar power production throughout the year. “Our solar dataset captures these variances, and when we integrate wind and temperature data, you start to see significant differences in long-term energy output between locations that are just a few kilometres apart,” said Westrick.

The geographical additions to 3TIER’s REmapping the World ™ initiative is an important milestone to providing information about renewable energy to the world.

Westrick notes that there are an estimated 80 000 villages in India without access to electricity and that solar energy could be a viable option for this region: “India has good solar potential and this map and dataset provides, for the first time, the information needed to identify the best areas for development. This information shortens the process needed to make sound decisions about where to invest in solar power generation and bring electricity to remote regions of India,” says Westrick. 3TIER’s FirstLook® Prospecting tool is a free web-based service that provides wind and solar maps to determine average wind speed ranges and average annual solar irradiance estimates. Product highlights: • GIS data layers and an application programming interface (API) that provide average annual values for Global Horizontal (GHI), Direct Normal (DNI) and Diffuse Horizontal (DIF) irradiance. • 10+ year time-series of all irradiance values available for any location within the dataset. • Two comprehensive resource assessment products delivering the highest-level of accuracy based on calibration of the dataset against on-site observations (if available) and a high-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) model run. They include a 10+ time-series of all irradiance, wind and temperature values, as well as irradiance maps, summary charts, and histograms.

Solar mapping products show how seasonal variables, wind and temperature impact solar resources.

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For more information about REmapping the World, visit www.remappingtheworld.com, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

ENERVAT I O N S

Environmentally friendly technologies took centre stage during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) in Denmark. Cars and tyres were on display at the Radisson Hotel in Copenhagen and the award winning fuel-saving tyre, Goodyear EfficientGrip, was be part of the event as an exclusive fitment on the forward-looking electric Renault Fluence Z.E.

“R

enault came to us with the objective to present to them a tyre with extremely low rolling resistance levels and – at the same time – very high levels of dry and wet performance. We are proud that the new EfficientGrip convinced Renault. Thanks to EfficientGrip’s proven performance on the current Megane 3, Renault has selected Goodyear as exclusive tyre development partner for the Renault Fluence Z.E.,” says Jean-Pierre Jeusette, Goodyear’s Director Tyre Technology Consumer Tyres for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

What the tyres can do One of Europe’s leading testing and certification organisations, TÜV SÜD Automotive, ran independent performance tests that proved the new Goodyear EfficientGrip provides: • 13% better rolling resistance • 2% shorter braking distance on wet & dry roads • 1,9% better fuel consumption • 8% more mileage on driven axle & 49% on free axle

Fuel consumption and more mileage The Goodyear EfficientGrip with FuelSaving Technology delivers important fuel savings, offers high mileage and excellent braking performance levels on dry and wet roads, it’s an environmentally friendly ultra-high performance tyre. Independent tests by a leading German automotive magazine confirmed EfficientGrip’s positive effect on a car’s fuel consumption without compromising the car’s driving performance. Testers from the magazine measured a reduction in fuel consumption of almost one liter per 100 km – or more than 11% – with a car fitted with EfficientGrip tyres.

reduced during production of the new EfficientGrip due to the fact that these tyres are 10% lighter than its predecessor. Less material for the tyre production combined with the fact that fewer tyres are needed to achieve a given mileage, ultimately leads to less material to be recycled at the end of the tyre’s life. Production of the electric Renault Fluence Z.E. will kick off in the first half of 2011 and the Renault Fluence Z.E. with Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres will first be launched in Israel and Denmark, followed by other countries. Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres are already available across Europe and South Africa in various sizes.

Environmental benefits EfficientGrip also offers additional environmental improvements in addition to its fuel consumption benefits. The silica tread compound uses the latest generation of polymers and it doesn’t contain any high aromatic oils, which is inline with the European legislation. Carbon dioxide emissions have been

Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Holdings (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 41 505 5400 Fax: +27 86 614 0368 E-mail: lize_hayward@goodyear.co.za Website: www.goodyear.co.za 25 o in A f rica

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The specialised requirements a TMC must have to service the energy sector Travel management for the Energy industry is multifaceted and ever changing, requiring a comprehensive knowledge of the industry and geographic locations to provide a holistic and comprehensive service for Energy travel management. Having well trained and knowledgeable consultants is also essential to the modern Oil & Gas TMC, not only to plan a client’s itinerary and logistics, but also to man the after hours call centre.

he Energy industry is characterised by short lead times where the slightest error can result in huge costs and a TMC needs to understand the implications of these time windows and how to work within them. One thing that sets the Energy industry apart from others is its need to often access remote and hard to access locations, which may often be hostile and undeveloped. Getting travellers into and out of these environments on time and to the correct destinations takes in-depth industry and geographic knowledge and years of hands on experience. For over a decade however, Wings® Corporate Travel has been supplying these diverse travel management requirements to clients of the Energy industry. With operations in strategic Oil & Gas locations across the globe, Wings® has years of experience in Energy industry travel, especially on the most challenging continent of all - Africa. The Energy industry environment requires a very different set of travel management services as apposed to corporate business travel management. Active hands-on experience of the countries is crucial In order to get your travellers around safely and efficiently. “Take Angola for example, Luanda is about half an hours drive from the international airport on a map, but in reality, it takes about 4 hours, due to the developing infrastructure, to get through the traffic,” says Hendrik Du Preez, Head of Business Development for Wings® Corporate Travel - Africa and the Middle East. “Because of our unique ability to service the most difficult continent well, one could argue it becomes easy to service the rest of the world,” says Du Preez. “The Oil and Gas industry is unlike any other - it offers huge challenges to a TMC not only in getting people to the far-out destinations, but also in being able to meet the deadlines that can change at the last minute and on short lead times.” “We understand the industry — it is fast-paced and demanding, and time is money. Rigs cannot come to a standstill because a flight has been delayed. We are in the business of ensuring we can move people in this industry quickly, efficiently and safely. Dependability and responsibility are key words in our line of work.” says Du Preez.

TMC needs to provide a holistic all encompassing service for all aspects of an Energy travel programme, and needs to have the capability to excel at all of them. This is one of the reasons that Wings® has expanded its operations across the globe, ensuring it has operations placed in strategic locations to proficiently service the Energy industry. “We’ve implemented a service that ensures everyone in the company, regardless of which office they work from, uses the same system.” says Du Preez. “We also have a call centre operating 365 days a week, 24 hours a day. When you are working with the Energy industry, emergencies can happen at any time and you must be available.” Utilising a single integrated system for all operations means that all information is easily accessed and updated from anywhere in the world in real time. All information is housed on a single database, which means that all information is always up to date regardless of where or when it is uploaded or downloaded, eliminating confusion and mistakes. This also allows for rapid dissemination of the information to travellers who are ‘on the road’ via technologies such as mobile devices. The safety and security of travellers is another primary factor to constantly keep in mind with Oil & Gas. Wings® relies heavily on technology to ensure the safety and security of travellers. “You need to know where people are and being able to track them at all times is important. We rate safety and security very high on the agenda.” says Du Preez. Technology also plays a vital role in enhancing travel management programmes through in-depth reporting. By utilising technologies that can provide statistical reports on a travel programme, it’s easier to create better itineraries and to use a travellers time more efficiently. Understanding the complexities and needs of various clients and reporting back comprehensively, is what makes the difference when servicing customers regardless of where they are in the world. Says Du Preez “In the end it does not matter though how many people you move - doing it well is what counts. In the Oil & Gas industry mistakes are huge — they cost money. Ensuring travellers arrive safely is even more important, and we do that well.”

Total account management is key Travel management for the Energy industry is about total account management and not just concentrating on one or two aspects of travel. A

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Wings Corporate Travel Tel: +27 11 292 5210 www.wings.travel

ENERVAT I O N S

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Plug-in Hybrid produces only 59

g/km CO2

he introduction of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, a plug-in version of the third-generation Prius petrol-electric hybrid vehicle, has been confirmed by the Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) offers greater range on electric power only, significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions. During the first half of 2010, approximately 600 PHV units will be introduced in Japan, the United States, and Europe. The Prius PHVs will be leased to government ministries, local governments, corporations including electric power companies, universities and research agencies for use in a demonstration programme. The programme is aimed at collecting real-world driving data and spurring the development of battery-charging infrastructure. Feedback regarding the Prius Plug-in Hybrid will be analysed with the aim to begin sales in the tens of thousands of units to the general public in two years. Batteries charged externally or from within the car The PHV uses lithium-ion batteries – a first for Toyota – which can be charged from an external source (such as a household electric outlet) as well as by the car’s own hybrid drive system. Due to the battery’s expanded capacity, the vehicle has an extended electric-vehicle driving range, enabling use as an electric vehicle (EV) for short distances. After battery power depletes to a level no longer allowing EV driving mode (when travelling longer distances), the vehicle functions as a conventional petrol-electric hybrid vehicle (HV).

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Above: The lithium-ion battery in the Prius Plug-in Hybrid can be charged from an external source as well as by the car’s own hybrid drive system

Hybrid System Specifications THS II Plug-in System (with motor speed reduction device) 1,8-litre gasoline 2ZR – FXE Engine (high-expansion ratio) Maximum output 73 kW (99PS)/5 200 rpm Maximum torque

142 N-m (14,5 kgf-m)/4 000 rpm

Motor

3JM (permanent magnet)

Maximum output

60 kW (82 PS)

Maximum torque

207N-m (21,1 kgf-m)

Drive battery

Lithium-ion

Capacity

5,2 kWh

Rated voltage

System maximum output

345,6 V Approx. 180 minutes (AC100 V) Approx. 100 minutes (AC200 V) 100 kW (136 PS)

System voltage

Max. 650 V

EV mode maximum speed

approx. 100 km/h (62mph)

Charging time

ENERVAT I O N S

Vehicle Specifications Engine displacement

1 798 cc

Transmission

Electric automatic

Powertrain

Front-wheel drive

Length

4 460 mm

Width

1 745 mm

Height

1 490 mm

Wheelbase

2 700 mm

Track – Front – Rear

1 525 mm 1 520 mm

Weight

1 490 kg

Seating capacity

Minimum turning radius

5,2m

Tyre size

195/65R15

Above: Approximately 600 PHV units will be introduced in Japan, the United States, and Europe in the first half of 2010. These vehicles offer greater range on electric power only, significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Only 59 g/km CO2 The fuel efficiency of PHVs such as the Prius Plug-in Hybrid are expected to be superior to conventional petrol-electric HVs, reduce consumption of fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions and atmospheric pollution. Although the results of official fuel consumption tests for a PHV differ from region to region, the Prius PHV emits only 59 g CO2 per km in the New European Driving Cycle* in Europe. Toyota believes that plug-in hybrid vehicles are a highly suitable option to meet the diversification of energy sources and it is actively encouraging market introduction to aid understanding and to promote the early widespread use of PHVs.

According to Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Executive Vice-President, Takeshi Uchiyamada, the plug-in hybrid technology is a key driver on our road towards sustainable mobility. “Based on Toyota’s full hybrid powertrain, PHV represents today the most practical way of increasing the use of electricity for personal transport. Now we need to investigate market acceptance of this new technology,” said Uchiyamada. Toyota South Africa Tel: +27 11 809 2232 E-mail: smoonsamy2@tsb.toyota.co.za Website: www.toyota.co.za *(CO2 emissions of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid are measured according to the new official international regulation for plug-in hybrid electric powertrains, as adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.)

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Switching the lights on, using the stove, reading in an air-conditioned room that overlooks the swimming pool and listening to the radio all Wireless electricity monitors show your household’s energy consumption in real time.

require electricity – but how are you to know how much electricity you are using at any given time?

ireless Electricity Monitors are devices that let you monitor the electricity you are using, displaying the usage at a cost per hour as well as your instantaneous usage and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) produced by your utility supplier as a result.

“Strangely enough, electricity meters are generally very accurate devices, but the monitor will give the customer the required level of comfort to reconcile his utility bill with his own monitoring system,” says Bredenkamp. “In fact, I think it will reduce the number of queries lodged with local authorities, questioning the accuracy of electricity meters.”

Changing your behaviour For the first time, householders can track their actual energy consumption in real time. Turning off the lights changes the display on the screen, switching on the jacuzzi makes the figures shoot up. Even if your household is trying to make a conscious effort to use less electricity, this device serves as a constant reminder of how much your day to day energy habits are costing you. Electricitymonitor.co.za reports that although the monitor does not tell you which appliances’ usage can be adjusted to reduce electricity usage, people using the monitor will become aware of which appliances are causing the device to increase consumption over time. Barry Bredenkamp, Acting General Operations Manager of the National Energy Efficiency Agency (NEEA), agrees that the immediate and visual effect of electricity monitors can help influence a household’s energy usage. “Electricity monitors are definitely an effective way to lower electricity usage! One can equate this with the fuel tank gauge in your motor car; if you can literally see your consumption, you can alter your behaviour (reduce speed, etc.), to ensure you make it to the next filling station, (or payday). The same principle would apply in the case of being able to see your energy consumption in real time!” says Bredenkamp. Can you use an electricity monitor to challenge your bill? Seeing as the Wireless Electricity Monitor is intended to stimulate behavioural change and not to replace your electricity revenue meter, these devices can’t be used to challenge or disprove bills from your electricity supplier. Bredenkamp explains that as long as the local authorities continue to use reliable, accurate and quality meters to bill customers, electricity monitors won’t be used to challenge electricity bills.

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This model allows you to download your energy consumption data to your computer, so that you can track your energy usage over time. Track your energy consumption over time The e2 Wireless Electricity Monitor, which is available from www.electricitymonitor.co.za, is the latest development in these monitors. This model allows you to download your energy consumption data to your computer, so that you can track your energy usage over time. The memory function stores your energy data over the previous eight months and you can view graphs of this data by day, week, month or as an average for a specified period of time. According to reviews on the Internet, these devices are easy to set up and use and few, if any, negative reviews were found. Understanding your energy usage (and the resulting CO2 emissions), empowers a household to make the changes needed to protect the environment and lower electricity bills. Source: www.electricitymonitor.co.za Electricity Monitor Tel: +27 87 550 0870 Fax: +27 86 578 1851

ENERVAT I O N S

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Commercial solar air-conditioning systems

in South Africa A showcase project to prove the efficacy, efficiency and economic viability of commercial solar driven air-conditioning has been implemented in Pretoria, South Africa.

t is an interesting paradox of South Africa’s sunny climate that the very source of heat, which necessitates cooling in buildings can in turn, be utilized to cool the buildings. The project, currently underway in Pretoria utilizes absorption chiller technology and aims to define a new method of cooling buildings in Southern Africa.

Voltas Technologies, a Johannesburgbased company that specializes in solar technology products, is the South African importer and distributor of the absorption water chillers, which are produced by Yazaki, a Japanese company. According to Cristian Cernat, CEO of Voltas Technologies, the use of absorption cooling technology has reached an acceptable level of process stability and its use is highly recommended. “New innovative absorption chillers are now available,” says Cernat. “The newly developed chillers are suitable for use with low hot water (less than 90°C) temperatures. This characteristic makes

them a very interesting application for systems based on wasted/recovered heat or solar heating systems. In South Africa, few absorption systems have been implemented and as far as we know, none has been solar power driven.” Finding a host for the project After months of negotiations with different entities trying to find a host for the showcase plant, Cernat approached a long-time client, Netcare Hospitals Pty Ltd. Netcare Hospitals agreed to provide Voltas Technologies with sufficient roof space and the opportunity to install and operate the system in parallel with the existing air conditioning plant at one of their facilities – the Moot Hospital in Pretoria. “In order to demonstrate the economics and the operating characteristics of absorption cooling systems in South African conditions, Voltas Technologies, in partnership with several reputable solar installers, installed the solar chiller plant,” says Cernat. “The plant, known as the ‘First Solar Thermal Driven Chilled Water System’ (STDCHW) is a first in Southern Africa. The STDCHW is a showcase project, with a 35 kW cooling capacity, based on the Yazaki WFC 10 chiller and a number of solar collectors for a heat source on the roof of the Netcare facility. The installation will produce chilled water, utilizing the cooling agent in the building’s air conditioning system, by deploying a thermally driven absorption cycle-based chiller unit in lieu of an electrically driven compression chiller. Thus, solar thermal energy can be used to efficiently cool in the summer, and heat domestic hot water and buildings in the winter.” Upgrading the system to 200 kW nominal cooling The installation of the solar driven air-conditioning system is being carried out in two phases. The first phase, already completed, consisted of the installation of an absorption based system, 35 kW nominal cooling capacity complete with a dual storage system and full monitoring as well as a web accessible bms system. Conclusive data was collected and the heat source/cooling ratio was confirmed. The second phase, currently underway, involves upgrading the system to 200 kW nominal cooling capacity. “Our project tasks include the calculation and validation of the relation between the cooling capacity of the chiller and the solar absorption area where evacuated tube collectors, ‘U-tube’ and ‘heat-pipe’ types are used; the calculation and validation of the minimum thermal storage required in order to ensure a 12 hour operation of the system; and the measurement and verification, both in-house and by a third party, of the electrical energy saving associated with this type of air conditioning system. A feasibility study of the implementation proven ‘life’ will be carried out by using the acquired data,” says Cernat. Data from this project is currently being collected and monitored for later analysis. “The project will enable Voltas Technologies to establish a real baseline for consumption so that eventual savings can be presented in perspective.” For more information, visit www.voltastechnologies.co.za, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

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Green metering

sets the bar in consumption monitoring

ith energy costs continually rising and further increases on the horizon, everyone is chanting “going green” mantras. A new paradigm shift towards green technology has brought an influx of innovative and efficient systems into the industry. These systems will not only tackle our increasing demand for energy, but also global climate concerns. Green Technologies Advanced Metering Infrastructure’s core purpose is to provide smart and efficient ways to manage energy consumption. The AMI system measures, collects and analyses energy usage from advanced devices such as smart electricity meters, gas meters, and water meters by using any communication platform. The AMI system automates the allocation of energy and incorporates automated billing, remote connections and disconnections of power and switching a client from prepaid to credit billing and visa versa by simply clicking on a button. Real time, two-way communication AMI is seen as a viable solution to tackling South Africa’s energy crisis and keeping up with international standards. This system raises the bar when it comes to automatic meter reading (AMR) because it enables two-way communications with the meter in real time. Traditional systems are limited by the fact that they can only measure the amount of power used, being reactive rather than pro-active. Global partners What makes Green Technologies AMI unique is its R&D agreements with strategic partners in Europe, North and South America. These partnerships enable Green Technologies to constantly push the envelope in new AMI developments.

Advanced Metering ENERVAT I O N S Infrastructure AMI for effective energy efficiency Advanced Metering Infrastructure AMI is a complete two-way data communication system for automatic meter reading (AMR) that uses low voltage power line grid as the medium (known as PLC technology). ROBUST, RELIABLE DATA Designed to meet International Standards, it provides robust and reliable data communication by using low speed, error detection and error correction techniques. GREEN TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDES THE THREE COMPONENTS REQUIRED TO BUILD THIS AMR SYSTEM: Digital AMR electricity meter [MTC 1000/SP]: Replaces the old mechanical electricity meter. This hi-tech meter is a complete energy recorder, with built-in power line modem for data communication (PLM). Data concentrator [DTC-1000]: This data concentrator is installed in every distribution transformer, providing a communication bridge between the electricity company and every meter connected to the distribution transformer. Data server [STC-1000]: Installed in the electricity company’s office. Provides user-friendly access to all DTCs and MTCs equipments, with built-in SQL database server for easy integration of existing management and accounting software. Access instant and real-time valuable information WITH JUST A CLICK… With just a click, you have access to demand profile, maximum demand analysis, technical and non-technical losses analysis, QoS, remote control and monitoring (cut off the energy, read any electrical parameter), and remote reconfiguration of any parameter (multi-tariff, setup prepaid mode, load control, alarms) of any meter.

Green Technologies’ goal is to make sure that everyone has a constant, cost-effective and clean energy supply, ensuring that “going green” initiatives are reaching new heights. For a wide range of improved efficiency in all areas, contact Green Technologies today.

For savings, control and efficiency, contact Green Technologies:

Green Technologies: Tel: +27 11 726 8092 Fax: +27 11 726 7736 E-mail: shalin.govender@nys.co.za Website: www.gtech.co.za

Tel: +27 11 726 8092 Fax: +27 11 726 7736 E-mail: info@gtech.co.za www.gtech.co.za 25 o in A f rica

cou ntry prof ile: A ngola

: e l i f o r ountry p

Angola

After the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002, Angolans started to rebuild the country and is still in the process of rebuilding. Independence from Portugal followed after conflict and fighting between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo Dos Santos and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas Savimbi. 14

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eace seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but by 1996 the fighting had picked up again. Up to 1,5-million lives may have been lost – and 4-million people displaced – in the quarter century of fighting. Savimbi’s death in 2002 ended UNITA’s insurgency and strengthened the MPLA’s hold on power. President Dos Santos held legislative elections in September 2008, and announced plans to hold presidential elections in 2009. Location: Southern Africa, between Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean. Climate: Semiarid in the south and along coast to Luanda; the north has a cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April). Terrain: Narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau.

c o untry p ro f i l e : A n go l a

Elevation extremes: • Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m. • Highest point: Morro de Moco 2 620 m.

program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation. By 2005 this policy became more sustainable because of strong oil export earnings; it has significantly reduced inflation.

Natural resources: Petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite and uranium. Land use: • Arable land: 2,65% • Permanent crops: 0,23% • Other: 97,12% (2005)

Although consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to under 13% in 2008, the stabilisation policy has put pressure on international net liquidity. Angola became a member of OPEC in late 2006 and in late 2007 was assigned a production quota of 1,9 million barrels a day, which was somewhat less than the 2 to 2,5-million bbl Angola’s government had wanted.

Natural hazards: Locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau. Current environmental issues: Overuse of pastures and subsequent soil

Angola will need to implement government reforms, increase transparency, and reduce corruption if it wants to take full advantage of its rich national resources such as gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits. The government has rejected a formal IMF monitored program, although it continues Article IV consultations and ad hoc cooperation. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, and the negative effects of large inflows of foreign exchange, are major challenges facing Angola. GDP (purchasing power parity): $112,8-billion (2008 est.) (ZAR853,511-billion) GDP (official exchange rate): $84,95-billion (ZAR 642,572-billion) GDP – real growth rate: 12,3% (2008 est.) GDP – per capita (PPP): $9 000 (ZAR68 074,77) (2008 est.) GDP – composition by sector: • Agriculture: 9,2% • Industry: 65,8% • Services: 24,6% (2008 est.)

erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of the tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; and inadequate supplies of potable water. General economic overview Oil production and its supporting activities contribute to approximately 85% of GDP and Angola’s high growth rate (more than 15% per year from 2004 to 2007) is mainly driven by this sector which has taken advantage of high international oil prices. Much of Angola’s infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. High rates of growth in construction and agriculture is attributed to a post-war reconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons. Half of the country’s food is imported, although subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people. Angola has large credit lines from China, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain and the EU. In 2003 the central bank implemented an exchange rate stabilisation

Labour force: 7,569-million (2008 est.) Population below poverty line: 40,5% (2006 est.) Agriculture products: Bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products and fish. Industrial production growth rate: 14,3% (2008 est.) Electricity production: 3,722-billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity consumption: 3,173-billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.) Oil production: 2,015-million bbl/day (2008 est.) Current account balance: $17,11-billion (2008 est.) Exports: $66,3-billion (ZAR501,422-billion) (2008 est.) Export commodities: Crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber and cotton. Export partners: China 33%, US 28,7%, France 6%, South Africa 4,6%, Canada 4,1% (2008). Imports: $17,08-billion (ZAR129,324 -billion) (2008 est.) Import partners: Portugal 17,6%, China 15,7%, US 11,3%, Brazil 7,6%, South Korea 6,8% and South Africa 4,8% (2008). Debt external: $14,09-billion (106,668-billion) (31 December 2008 est.). Information courtesy of www.cia.gov, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

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cou ntry prof ile: A ngola

Angola’s electricity industry grows with government investments Cornelis van der Waal

pending on electricity infrastructure in Angola will reach $8,4-billion over the next few years, says growth partnership company Frost & Sullivan. This massive investment, coupled with the country’s robust economic growth is set to boost Angola’s electricity industry.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan found that Angola’s two state-owned utilities earned revenues of $356,0-million in 2008 and estimates this to reach $450-million in 2015. Construction, government/ utilities, industrial, oil and gas, as well as mining sectors were covered throughout this analysis.

The Angolan Government has also channelled $2,5-billion into the power sector to improve its capacity, and Frost & Sullivan expects the Angolan power industry to grow by 20% by 2015. “Angola’s rapid economic growth has undoubtedly resulted in high levels of demand for electricity by both residential and commercial end users,” explains Frost & Sullivan energy programme manager Cornelis van der Waal. “Despite the current financial crisis, the Angolan government is expected to continue its reconstruction programme, with greater emphasis on the development of electricity infrastructure.” However, the poor state of existing infrastructure, lack of skilled labour and the large amount of capital that is needed to build a power plant are major factors that threaten this industry expansion. The Angolan programme to develop the electricity industry will require about 800 engineers in order to meet the development needs of the industry over the next five years. “The country has a profound human resources crisis,” says Van der Waal. “This is forcing Chinese companies developing projects in Angola to import 95% of their manpower, triggering criticism from international agencies.” Frost & Sullivan Tel: +27 21 680 3261 Fax: +27 21 680 3296 Website: www.frost.com

New book shows technical work behind

South Africa’s mitigation actions

aking Action on Climate Change, by Dr Harald Winkler, is one of the latest publications from University of Cape Town Press. This book describes the technical work on potential mitigation actions that built enough confidence for the South African government to set an ambitious strategic direction in mitigating climate change.

Winkler is based at the Energy Research Centre at the University of Cape Town and he is an internationally renowned expert on climate change. He is also the lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III for the Fourth Member of the South African delegation to the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In 2007, South Africa’s Department of the Environment approached him to head a research project to develop scenarios that would form the basis for a national, long-term climate policy and well-founded positions for international negotiations on the future of global climate policy after 2012. Taking Action on Climate Change is based on Winkler’s report of this project.

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Even though reducing greenhouse gas emissions presents a daunting challenge for a developing nation such as South Africa, government initiated a process to develop long term mitigation scenarios in order to address climate problems. These mitigation scenarios were based on rigorous research, involving a group of strategic thinkers across a wide range of stakeholders. Taking Action on Climate Change describes the technical work on potential mitigation actions that built enough confidence for the South African government to set an ambitious strategic direction in mitigating climate change. Readers will also find an analysis of a wide range of detailed mitigation actions and proposals for four strategic options that South Africa can pursue in this book. The accompanying CD for the book includes a technical report and summary, as well as high-level technical information and graphics. Juta and Company Ltd Tel: +27 21 659 2336 Fax: +27 21 659 2713 E-mail: ntalliard@juta.co.za

c l i m ate c h an g e

Monitor the world’s progress

Climate Action Tracker

with the

countries or the emission levels (assuming implementation of the climate plan) were also taken into account. All of the countries were placed in one of the following four categories: Role model (countries that are leading the way by showing that it is possible to pledge very ambitious reductions), sufficient (these countries’ pledges are in the least stringent third of the range given by the studies), medium (pledges that are in the least stringent third of the range given by the studies) and inadequate (these countries’ proposed emission targets are above the range given in the studies). A big difference between ambition levels of countries

ith the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Copenhagen around the corner, many countries are putting out proposals about how they are going to reduce their short- and long-term emissions. The G8 has decided on the broad target of limiting the global average temperature to 2°C, but the major question is whether the combined individual national pledges are enough to ensure that global emissions are on their way towards reaching this limit. A Climate Action Tracker that tracks the emission commitments and actions of countries has now been made available online for all to see. Climatetracker. org, which is an independent science-based assessment website, provides an up-to-date valuation of individual national pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and according to this tracker, emission reduction commitments made by countries in the Copenhagen climate negotiation sessions are still far less ambitious than those needed to limit global warming to 2°C, let alone 1,5°C. Climatetracker.org states that emission reductions of developed countries as a whole are currently projected to be 8-12% below 1990 levels by 2020 after accounting for forestry credits, rather than the 25-40% reductions described as necessary by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The less ambitious reduction of 8% is unconditional for most countries and the more ambitious reduction of 12% is linked by most countries to a strong agreement in Copenhagen, but even this more ambitious reduction is far from the IPCC’s reduction ranges for developed countries. According to Climatetracker.org, more ambitious targets are needed if we are to achieve low greenhouse gas concentrations and thus keep the rise in global temperature within low limits.

Large differences between the ambition levels when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions of countries are revealed by the Climate Action Tracker. The Maldives and Costa Rica, who have proposed to become climate-neutral by around 2020, are in the lead and countries who have proposed significant reductions (like Japan, Norway and Switzerland) are also at the high end of the scale. South Africa has been labelled as ‘inadequate’ by the Climate Action Tracker because it has provided a detailed, comprehensive scenario analysis, but not yet specified which measures to implement, either unilaterally or conditionally. View individual country assessments by going to www.climateactiontracker.org and clicking on the map.

Online tool tracks long-term climate impacts Climate Interactive has launched an online tool that shows the expected temperature in 2010 if current proposals in the global climate negotiations were fully implemented and how close those proposals are to reaching international climate goals. The embedded widget, called the Climate Scoreboard, can be included on blogs, websites, newsletters, Facebook pages and more.

How the countries were assessed

The main advantage of having this online tool is that it changes automatically as country proposals to the UN change. These instant changes are achieved through the use of the C-ROADS model created by the Sustainability Institute, MIT, and Ventana Systems.

Climatetracker.org assessed the pledges made by G20 countries by evaluating the details in emissions and the target paths proposed by the developed

To get the Climate Scoreboard or watch a video about it, visit http://climatescoreboard.org

2 5 o in A f rica

climate ch ange

The leaked draft at Copenhagen “African countries have been asked to sign a suicide pact,” Sudanese chairman of the G77, Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, told African leaders at an ad-hoc meeting regarding the leaked draft text at COP15.

why the fuss?

On Tuesday, 8 December 2009, the climate summit at Copenhagen was in disarray after a draft agreement was leaked to the Guardian newspaper. The draft text is said to have originated with a group known as the Circle of Commitment, a group said to include the US, UK and Denmark and this document formalises the shift away from the Kyoto protocol’s principle that developed countries should commit to binding reductions due to their historic responsibility, while developing nations were not forced to act.

Guardian analysis of the document found that the agreement proposed to hand control over climate change finance to the World Bank and set unequal per capita carbon emissions limits for developed and developing nations in 2050, allowing people in developed countries to emit almost twice as much as people in poorer countries.

misleading. The document, which is still available on the Guardian website and less than ten pages long, doesn’t even mention the World Bank and it doesn’t contain per capita emissions reduction targets.

Public uproar

Regarding per capita emissions, the draft text states that “the Parties contributions towards the goal should take into account common but different responsibilities and respective capabilities and a long term convergence of per capita emissions.” It also proposes that the financial mechanism be managed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The world’s poorest countries, known as G77, reacted furiously. The Sudanese chairman of the G77, Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, announced the news of the draft text to an ad-hoc gathering of approximately 100 African leaders. An emotional Di-Aping said that they had been asked to sign a “suicide pact” because the emissions that the draft text allowed would mean “certain death for Africa”. According to reports from the scene, G77 stormed into the main hall of the Bella Centre and started chanting “we will not die quietly!”. Although this information and event received strong reactions from NGO’s, activists and some of major media, the climate summit wasn’t formally disrupted and the G77 demonstration in the conference centre went largely unnoticed (an image search on the Internet failed to provide even one picture of the chanting by approximately 100 leaders – only a picture of Di-Aping addressing the leaders in a conference room was obtained). How much of the analysis is true? Analysis of the leaked document by Guardian, which was quoted by many people, organisations and received much press coverage, is inaccurate and

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What the document said

Although few figures are included in the text, it does mention a sum of $10-billion a year to help poor countries adapt to climate change. Di-Aping’s response to this sum was that “$10-billion would not be enough to buy coffins for all the Africans that will die as a result of climate change”.

Analysis of the leaked document by The Guardian, which was quoted by many people, organisations and received much press coverage, is inaccurate and misleading.

c l i m ate c h an g e

Watered down commitments

Why it does matter

One clear difference of the draft text versus the final Accord is the amount of written commitments. “Annex I Parties to the Convention commit to reducing their emissions individually or jointly by at least 80 per cent by 2050” compared to 1990. The draft also committed the entire world to “reduce global emissions by 50% in 2050 below 1990 levels”. In the final Accord, however, there is only a mention of a long term target to cut emissions (50% reductions by 2050 from 1990 levels was dropped).

Although the document “holds no power” and negotiations at COP15 continued without much reference to the leak, the reactions that followed prove the amount of distrust that exists between nations. The idea of backdoor deals and poorer nations being sidelined by richer, more powerful nations that want to continue protecting their own interests is rife.

Why it doesn’t matter The document dates back to November 27 and the Danish Prime Minister on November 30 distanced himself from the now leaked document. According to Yvo de Boer, UN Climate Change Chief, it was one of many informal papers that hold no power and it was “given to a number of people for the purposes of consultations”.

“The leaked document is a huge problem because it was so biasedly in favour of industrialized countries,” says Richard Worthington, Manager of the Climate Change Programme at WWF-SA. “While Lemumba wasn’t speaking on behalf of the G77 or Africa, I think the African countries as a group responded appropriately.” Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Over 2000 registered CDM projects in less than two years I

n less than two years, the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has registered its 2 000th project. The first CDM project was registered on 18 November 2004 and it took almost three and a half years for the 1 000th project to be registered in April 2008.

The project that marked this noteworthy milestone is a biogas extraction and utilisation project in Thailand which is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 56 000 tonnes annually.

possible through enhanced initial screening, and ensuring that adequate resources are available to process the new requests in a timely manner. CDM is anticipated to generate more than 2,9-billion certified emission reductions (CERs) in the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and CDM projects have generated more than 365-million CERs so far. PoAs reduce transaction cost

“The CDM has passed another milestone. It’s fascinating to look back at how we started, and consider how far we have come,” said Lex de Jonge, Chair of the CDM Executive Board. “It is heartening to see the pace of registrations picking up such that the 2000th project gets registered in less than two years.”

In another development, there are now 40 Programme of Activities (PoAs) under validation. PoAs are expected to increase the effectiveness of the mechanism due to the fact that many projects over a wide area can be consolidated and submitted as one single project, thus reducing transaction costs without reducing environmental integrity.

Timeline and review process amendments

“The PoA approach is an example of untapped potential that can contribute to the scaling up of the CDM. In some countries, single projects are often too small to be commercially viable. Programmatic CDM could dramatically change this, as a PoA might cover an entire city, or entire state. This is expected to increase CDMs applicability and help the mechanism come loser to achieving its vast potential,” says de Jonge.

With over 2 000 further projects being assessed by DOEs and 450 projects under different stages of consideration by the CDM Executive Board, it’s hoped that the 3 000 mark will be reached in an even shorter period of time. A number of actions will be taken by the Executive Board in order to achieve this goal including amending its timelines and the review process as mandated by the last meeting of the CMP in Copenhagen, ensuring that issues with incoming requests for registration are handled as efficiently as

For more information, visit www.unfccc.int, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

2 5 o in A f rica

climate ch ange

Post COP15:

achieved? What have we

130 heads of state and government attended the 15th annual Conference of the Parties (COP) to the framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Copenhagen from 7 – 18 December 2009. A global plan was needed to combat climate change and although everybody was hoping for a legally binding agreement, the conference ended with a nonbinding Accord. This political agreement was signed by 28 countries, including South Africa, the U.S., China, India, Brazil and several others.

COP Accord gets frowned upon

About the Copenhagen Accord

Along with major global media, South Africa’s environment minister, Buyelwa Sonjica, said that they were disappointed that they only came out of the process with the Political Accord instead of a legally binding agreement. South Africa had pushed for a two-track agreement at COP15 – amendments to the Kyoto Protocol setting up a second commitment period in terms of which developed countries would be obliged to undertake greenhouse gas emissions reduction (the first commitment period is 2008 – 2012), and a legally binding agreement under the Convention to bring in the US, provide for finance for adaptation and mitigation and include the commitment of some developing countries to actions on mitigation, with the support of the developed world.

Although the signatories agreed that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and that global temperatures should not rise above 2°C, the Accord does not commit any nation to greenhouse gas emissions cuts.

After Sonjica and her two top climate change negotiators (Joanne Yawitch and Alf Wills) returned from the Danish capital, a media briefing was held in Pretoria on the 22nd of December, where Sonjica told the press that Copenhagen was not the breakthrough that the world expected and the climate needed. Sonjica said that the Copenhagen Accord is weak in that it’s partial, and political, rather than legally binding. The relevant COP decision records merely that the COP “takes note” of the Accord. Legally-speaking the term “take(s) note” is not imbued with either positive or negative connotations, rather indicating a neutral position in respect of the Accord. Although Sonjica said that she was worried about COP15’s outcome, she was also “cautiously optimistic” because the Accord did resolve some key issues amongst the countries that subscribed to the Accord and should help discussion on the issue of climate change “move forward”.

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International analysis of MRV The Bali Action Plan of 2007 indicates, as an ambition for a future climate change legal regime, that developed and developing countries, respectively undertake mitigation commitments and actions that are “measurable, reportable and verifiable”. International agreement on how mitigation actions are measured is a huge point of conflict between nations. Some developing countries refused intrusive monitoring of their internal efforts to reduce emissions, but developed countries wanted a verifiable reporting system that would reassure them that other countries are acting on their commitments. “The central focus of tension around MRV was the problem that many developing countries, not least China, had with international verification, in particular of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) that do not receive international support. China had a particular objection to the international review. Developed countries, not least the USA, insisted on some form of transparency and accountability,” says Associate Professor at the Energy Research Centre of the University of Cape Town, Harald Winkler.

c l i m ate c h an g e

Why the Accord was only ‘noted’ by the COP Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Sudan, Tuvalu, and Venezuela opposed the Accord, which lead the Conference to ‘note’ it rather than adopt it. These countries rejected the Accord on procedural grounds as well as on substance. According to these countries, the process undertaken in devising the Accord is ‘undemocratic’. Even though the Accord is far from perfect, many developing nations pleaded with opposing parties to drop their opposition so that it could be adopted. Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives, begged them to drop their opposition and many appeals by negotiators from other countries and bodies such as the African Union and the Least Developed Countries lead to the same outcome – these six countries were not going to adopt the Accord. Was the process undemocratic?

According to a statement released by the environment minister, a key dispute over how countries would prove their progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions was solved at COP15. The COP15 Accord determined that emission reductions for developed countries (Annex 1 parties) will be measured, reported and verified according to guidelines yet to be established. Mitigation actions taken by developing countries (non-Annex 1 parties) will be subject to domestic measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) reported through national communications, with “international consultation and analysis”. Developing countries need to report the results of their monitoring to the UN every two years. Winkler believes that the compromise between countries regarding MRV is resolved politically by the Accord, but that the legal detail into which this will be translated will be all-important. “The Copenhagen Accord found a political compromise between these differing perspectives. By its nature – of being a political deal and not a legal treaty – the language is ambiguous. How this might be turned into legally binding language remains to be seen, and the detail would matter,” said Winkler. Although MRV process guidelines, which are going to be technically challenging and politically sensitive, are “yet to be established”, President of the United States, Barack Obama, was quoted saying that “MRV will not be a problem, a more legitimate concern is that goals aren’t legally binding”. “. . . it is the first time that this scale of money is on the table” The Accord states that wealthy nations will raise $100-billion a year by 2020 to help poorer nations cope with the effects of climate change, such as droughts and floods. This is contingent on a broader agreement, including some kind of oversight to verify China’s emissions of greenhouse gases. Also, short-term funding of roughly $30-billion over three years beginning in 2010 has been agreed upon to help developing countries adapt to climate change and shift to clean energy.

Opposing nations felt that the Accord, which came out of the convening of the Friends of the Chair meeting, wasn’t reached by using a democratic process. The Friends of the Chair meeting took place outside of the UNFCCC process due to the fact that COP15 was in deadlock (according to negotiators). The President of the COP and Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, then invited the 28 heads of state in order to break through the deadlock. These heads of state represented major emitters, major economies, diverse economies and the major UN negotiating groups (according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon). The only way the process would’ve been undemocratic is if the Accord was adopted by the COP, even though there were opposing nations. At a press conference on the final day of the COP, Yvo de Boer, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, said that 50% global emissions reductions by 2050 and 80% by 2050 from industrialised countries was very much on the table with plenty of willingness from the heads of state to make it happen, but that there simply wasn’t enough time to get it into the Accord in a politically “responsible way”. Too many chefs in the kitchen The UNFCCC Draft Rules of Procedure require consensus for almost all decisions. 130 states were present in the plenary session that discussed the Accord. Only six nations voted against the Accord – the rest were all willing to adopt it. During a statement at the high-level segment, Yvo de Boer said: “The aim here is not to celebrate the victory of one nation over another, of one group over another. The aim is to find solutions instead of letting problems continue”. Could it be possible that there are just too many countries involved in a decision-making process where everybody has something to lose?

2 5 o in A f rica

climate ch ange

“The Accord does not deliver the needed fair, ambitious and binding deal millions globally have been calling for to avoid dangerous climate change. However, if governments build on the good aspects of the Accord and commence further meaningful negotiations, it could be one of the stepping stones toward a fair, ambitious and binding deal,” said Worthington. “In terms of finance, we’re still way short of where we should be. We need more transparency – nothing was specified about how much of the money is private, where it will be coming from or where it is going.” “The long term finance is still beset by conditionalities but it is the first time that this scale of money is on the table,” Sonjica told the press. Imbewu Sustainability Legal Specialists Director and head of the climate change legal unit, Andrew Gilder, believes that although the reference to the amount of money in the Accord is something to be positive about, the fact that the Accord is not legally binding can cause problems. “There are particular figures for financial support in that document. This is a huge step forward because it means that the US is now involved in a system from which they have been absent for eight years. The pitfall is the status of the agreement,” Gilder continues. “The only way all that money will actually become available is if the countries that promised the money, now go ahead and put processes in place to make it available. In light of the expectations around the outcome of the COP and general disappointment about the actual result, developed countries that have, noted the Accord, even though they aren’t legally obliged to comply with its terms, now have a huge moral imperative on them to take relevant action.” A first step, a breakthrough or a failure?

Gilder says that he isn’t surprised that COP15 didn’t reach a legally binding agreement. “The Bali Action Plan doesn’t say anything about a legally binding outcome, it says that an ‘agreed outcome’ needs to be reached, so the fact that COP15 didn’t lead to a legally binding agreement isn’t surprising at all,” says Gilder. Gilder also warns that people shouldn’t be placing such a huge focus on expectations and demands made to the President of the US. “Barack Obama is not the saviour of the planet and a large proportion of Americans don’t believe they have anything to do with the climate change problem. We’ve made some steps and we’re going to have to see what happens at COP16 in Mexico. The Accord exists – so now what?” says Gilder. “Moving forward, with the Copenhagen Accord hopefully starting a process of transparency about ambitions and real implementation that will break through some political deadlocks, countries should focus on maximising results from each of these negotiating forums, while investing a renewed authority to the UNFCCC to complete a real deal,” says Worthington on behalf of the WWF.

Even though the Accord isn’t legally binding and the COP itself didn’t adopt the Accord, world leaders have been quoted as calling COP15 “a positive step” (Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi), a first step (German Chancellor Angela Merkel), “a good first step” (UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown) and a “breakthrough” (US President Barack Obama).

“There is still much work to be done to deliver a fair and effective post-2012 agreement, but the mandate of the two working groups has been extended, so we could have a new treaty adopted at the next Conference of the Parties in Mexico, as well as agreement on a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The two-track process is intact and the new Accord could be used as a stepping stone without subverting the Bali Mandate,” concludes Worthington.

Richard Worthington, Manager of the Climate Change Programme at WWF-SA, says that the Accord is not an acceptable basis for negotiations post Copenhagen.

Sources: www.wri.org, www.deat.gov.za, www.guardian.co.uk, www.unfccc.int, www.wwf.org.

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O IL AND GAS

that oil and gas companies face A new Acclimatise report backed by IBM, titled Global Oil & Gas – The Adaption Challenge has identified the top five impacts of climate change that these companies may face in the future. This report, which is based on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s request for investor information, surveyed 128 of the world’s largest oil and gas companies.

Water resources

Physical asset failure

Oil and gas companies are major users of water and they are used to cheap water that is readily available. There has been increasing stress on water resources and central Asia and the Middle East, in particular, have been experiencing operational problems during project development.

Assets in oil and gas companies have been designed to historic climate conditions. The standards that were used to design existing assets in these companies may no longer be sufficient to withstand the climate change (an example used in the report was that of the current design maximum probably storm and wave heights that may not ensure sufficient headroom on offshore platforms).

Although there is less water, declining water quality and a growing demand for water, only 3% of the participating companies reported that they were investing in more efficient assets in an attempt to combat increased water shortages in the future.

10 Prepare-Adapt Questions for oil and gas companies 1) What are the operational impacts of your company on climate change? 2) Are your current and planned major operating assets located in areas vulnerable to climate change impacts and what are the implications? 3) How sensitive is the demand for your products and services to climate change impacts? 4) How could current and future climate change regulations and industry

Employee health and safety risks Health and safety becomes a huge risk to oil and gas companies due to the fact that many of them are working with older assets. The report also reveals that damage to assets, decreased efficiencies of operations and reduced availability of natural resources could also have an effect on health and safety in the workforce. While 19% of the companies acknowledged that climate change could have additional health and safety implications for company employees, only 1,5% gave evidence of actions that they were taking to manage these health and safety risks. Drop in value of financial assets

standards affect your organisation and its reputation? 5) What new and enhanced existing products and services can you offer your customers? 6) What benefits could you realise from better managing your response to climate change? 7) How clear and effective are your governance processes for dealing with climate change? 8) How well structured is your approach for managing climate change? 9) How can you ensure that your approach is based on robust information and assumptions? 10) How can you demonstrate that your climate business resilience plans are realistic and financially viable?

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The report notes that proved reserves (which are usually defined as “the estimated quantities of oil and gas which geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in future years from known reservoirs under current economic operating conditions”) also pose a huge potential risk. The growing demand of energy means that oil and gas companies will continue to need investments in order to further development and production, but potential investors are continuing to question the impacts of climate change on these companies. The size of these proved reserves also have a significant influence on the market value of oil and gas companies.

O I L A ND G A S

Damage to corporate reputation

Opportunities for the oil and gas industry

Failure to monitor and report on the impacts of climate change on social and ecological resources is likely to harm the reputation of the company. As knowledge and awareness of climate change continues to rise, operational activities and exploration (such as Arctic industrialisation) will be increasingly scrutinised. Social and environmental risks from companies producing oil that are located further afield can damage a company’s reputation if not properly addressed.

In order to improve oil and gas companies’ adaption to the impact of climate change, companies in this industry should consider a high-level assessment of how climate change could impact their business models, analyse individual areas that could have a greater impact on performance (such as Non-Market Strategy and Asset Lifecycle Management) and they should adapt reporting and performance management to incorporate risks that arise from climate change.

Drivers for change According to the report, there are three main drivers that influence the rate and level of innovation in the oil and gas industry. • Cost/revenue drivers – Changes in design standards could increase operating costs • Pressure from stakeholders – investors, stakeholders, NGO’s, regulatory agencies, etc are all putting more pressure on oil and gas companies to address climate risks and opportunities. • New regulatory landscape – Many countries are developing new regulatory policies, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty about future regulatory policies. Oil and gas companies will be encouraged to invest in alternative and more sustainable energy sources once there is greater certainty regarding future emission legislation.

There’s an urgent need for alternative energy sources and, according to Acclimatise and IBM, oil and gas companies need to take an integrated approach to meet the needs of economic growth and adapt to climate change in order to avoid the ‘predictable surprise’ that climate change will bring. The full report can be downloaded at www.acclimatise. uk.com/news/cdp-2009-global-oil-gas-report-published. For more information, visit www.acclimatise.uk.com, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

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b io fu els

Rwanda gets

$250-million boost for biofuels project

n 7 December 2009, The East African reported that Rwanda has signed a $250-million investment deal with Eco Fuel Global (US) and Eco Positive (UK) to use biofuel in order to produce “green energy”. The deal was signed at the Rwanda Development Boards’ headquarters in Kigali and witnessed by Tony Blair and, according to a statement released by Eco Positive, the deal is part of Eco Positive’s Sub-Saharan Africa bio-fuel strategy. “By growing, extracting and processing second generation biofuels within Rwanda, we can ensure the maximum possible sustainable benefits whilst using a project model that is commercially attractive to investors. We view this project as the epicentre of a regional biofuel industry,” said Karl Boyce, CEO of Eco Positive. According to The East African, this deal will give Rwanda the capacity to produce more than 20-million litres of biofuel annually from jatropha curcas, making it among the first few African countries to embark on large scale commercial production of biodiesel as the world battles carbon emissions responsible for climate change.

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Officials from Rwanda have said that this complementary source of energy will lead to a 30% reduction on imports of petrol-diesel from neighbouring Kenya. Benefits of the project include: • 6 500 people will be employed. • Increased fuel security and price stability. • Training and skills transfer, with the formation of a centre of excellence for biofuels within Rwanda through collaboration with local universities. • Improved balance of trade. • Rehabilitation of degraded land through soil stabilisation and enrichment, avoiding competition with food crops and ultimately boosting food production. • Considerable environmental benefits with significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through fuel use, and CO2 capture within plantations. • Reintroduction of habitat for wildlife and watershed protection, including the protection of national parks through the formation of buffer zones. For more information, visit www.theeastafrican.co.ke and www.ep-projectfinance.co.uk to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

biof ue l s

Bioenergy Markets Africa, which is to be held in Maputo, Mozambique on 11 – 13 May 2010, brings together key players from Southern and Eastern Africa as well as global industry experts to cover all bioenergy issues and developments from policy to finance and agronomy and refining to sustainability.

his conference is hosted by the Ministry of Energy of Mozambique and on the 14th of January, Mozambique Minister of Energy,H.E. Salvador Namburete, sent out an invitation encouraging people to attend the event. “African observers see new potential for the continent in the form of a bioenergy boom as large areas of the continent are proving fertile ground for those seeking an alternative to fossil fuels. With Africa’s potential to become a major producer and exporter of bioenergy, the continent has seen a big rise in investment interest and project development,” explained the invitation by Namburete. “With an ever expanding knowledge base and the continued efforts of local and international experts in the field, significant developments are being made in the efficient production of bioenergy.” Why attend Bioenergy Markets Africa? Gain an in-depth understanding of the East & Southern African biofuels, biogas and biopower markets. • Understand the policy support in each country and meet with energy and agricultural ministers to develop relationships for future opportunities. • Listen to experts share their predictions on future market growth and decide how your business needs to adapt to ensure future success. • Identify investment opportunities in the region and discover how you can be at the receiving end. • Hear case studies from across the region and beyond. • Participate in a series of interactive panel discussions and help shape this fast moving market. • Benefit from first class networking opportunities through our online networking tool prior to, during and after the event. • Flexible pricing options for local and international companies PLUS delegates receive 50% off attendance at World Biofuels Markets.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Anna Lerner, Technical Advisor to SADC Energy Sector, Programme for Basic Energy & Conservation, GTZ, Mozambique. Ben Muok, African Centre for Technology Studies, Kenya. Meghan Sapp, Secretary-General, PANGEA, Belgium. Evan Smith, Co-Founder, Verno Systems, USA. Bibiana Walela, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya (AFC). John Afari Idan, Chief Executive Officer, Biogas Technologies West Africa, Ghana. Jon McLea, Senior Agronomist, Energem Biofuels, UK. Vincent Volckaert, Regional Manager, D1 Oil Plant Science, Belgium. Peter Hanratty, Chief Executive Officer, Fuelstock, UK Boma Anga, Chief Executive Officer, Cassa-kero, Nigeria. Ruud van Eck, Director, Diligent Energy Systems. Dwight Rosslee, Manager, Biogas Power, South Africa. Marc Schut, PhD Researcher, Wageningen University, Mozambique. Helen Watson, Senior Lecturer, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

To attend the conference or book an exhibition stand, visit www2.greenpowerconferences.co.uk, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

Speakers at Bioenergy Markets Africa 2010 include: H.E. Salvador Namburete, Minister of Energy, Government of Mozambique, Mozambique. • Antonio Saide, National Director of New and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy, Mozambique. • Oscar Kalumiama, Director, Department of Energy, Ministry of Energy, Zambia. • Turyahabwe Elsam, Director of Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Uganda. • Nick Goodall, Chief Executive Officer, Renewable Fuels Agency, UK. • Andrew Makanete, President, South African Biofuels Association & General Manager, Absa Bank, South Africa.

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b io fu els

n 3 December 2009, the World Bioenergy Association (WBA) released a position paper based on a report by the Department of Energy and technology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), shows that the global potential to produce biomass for energy in a sustainable way is sufficient to meet global energy demand.

Export opportunities for Africa

According to IEA projections, the global energy consumption is 490 EJ (ExaJoule) today, and could reach well over 1 000 EJ in 2050. Based on different scientific studies, the estimated potential for bioenergy production is 1 135 – 1 548 EJ in 2050.

“Bioenergy has great potential in Africa, both to increase self-sufficiency, reduce imports of fossil fuels, and to open new export opportunities,” Wakhungu.

Awareness is needed Unfortunately, this information is not widely known amongst the public and the current use of biomass for energy is only 50 EJ, around 10% of global energy consumption. “There’s a lack of awareness of the enormous potential of bioenergy worldwide both among politicians, media and the public,” says Kent Nyström, president of the World Bioenergy Association. According to the SLU report, the largest potential for bioenergy comes from biomass production on surplus agricultural lands and degraded lands. Bioenergy crops are grown on 25-million hectares, which is only 0,19% of the world’s total land area and 0,5% of the total agricultural land.

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Prof. Judi W. Wakhungu from the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Kenya commented that this potential would hold other opportunities for Africa.

For more information visit www.worldbioenergy.org and www.et.slu.se, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given. Overwhelming amount of bioenergy research As studies are done and problems are tackled by researchers according to global trends, an overwhelming body of research focusing on bioenergy in relation to other types of renewable energy might illustrate the role bioenergy has as an important renewable energy source for the near and medium-term future. As the Department of Energy and Technology at SLU analysed the amount of existing research on renewable energy, they found that about 50% (4 911 records) of 9 724 renewable energy records available were bioenergy records. They also found that publications on each of the four main sources of biomass (agriculture, forest, waste and other) represent about one quarter of the 4 911 bioenergy records retrieved.

Reducing water usage by

– real alternatives

The basin on the left after 60 seconds Without a PCWR.

30% Easy-to-install Pressure compensated water regulator.

The basin on the right after 60 seconds with a PCWR. A considerable saving!

unicipalities in South Africa owe over ZAR1-billion to water boards. Government wants our country to reduce water and electricity usage by 10% and there are over 7,5-million houses in South Africa. So many goals, challenges and constraints are frequently mentioned, but when will we start seeking viable solutions that offer tangible benefits? Solar YA Africa, a local company that wants to tackle South Africa’s water and electricity shortage, is putting forward an ideal solution. Their objective is to save South Africa 30% on their domestic water usage by installing water savers into homes across the country, without changing anybody’s life style. How? With Water Pressure Compensated Regulators that can show results.

The facts A daily five minute shower consumes approximately 100 litres of water. Water Pressure Compensated Regulators, supplied by Solar YA Africa, can reduce this amount to approximately 50 litres, without losing any comfort.

commitment to create jobs by employing people to install these regulators if the initiative is supported by Government. Conventional taps were not designed with water savings in mind, but the potential to cut back is expanding with the introduction of effective Water Pressure Compensated Regulators into the South African market.

Benefits of Pressure Compensated Water Saving • • • • • •

Potential saving of 50% water usage. Saving on electricity. Material saving, i.e. smaller water tanks, smaller rising mains, no need for larger pumps. Reduced maintenance costs. No need for pressure reducing valves. Standardise the pressure throughout a water network.

These regulators can easily be fitted onto showerheads and taps, giving government, municipalities and the general public an alternative in terms of water wastage. Solar Ya Africa has also expressed their

Solar Ya Africa Tel: +27 11 022 0988 or +27 11 795 9460/1 E-mail: jp@solaryaafrica.co.za Website: www.solaryaafrica.co.za

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Renewable energy solutions for

chemical plants AR Process Projects, a BBBEE-certified chemical engineering contracting company based in Gauteng, has built over 130 chemical plants since its inception in 1973. Although this specialised company has historically been operating in the chemical, mining, fertiliser, pulp and paper and nuclear industries, they have added renewable energy to their scope as their market in South Africa is changing.

“S

outh Africa is in crisis mode when it comes to energy supply. We will not be able to continue with a business-as-usual attitude if we are realistic about our country’s energy security in the future,” says Rex Zietsman, Sales Director of Process Projects. “While we will always be involved in building a wide range of chemical plants, we are also focusing on becoming industry leaders in renewable energy.” The types of renewable energy that Zietsman is referring to includes biomass conversion and power generation, in which Process Projects have both been strongly involved. Recovering waste heat Process Projects is pursuing recovering waste heat from processes producing heat that is currently being expended to atmosphere. They are busy discussing co-operation opportunities with a furnace company in South Africa in order to generate electricity from hot flue gas. “We are investigating the installation of Organic Rankine Cycle [ORC] equipment that converts heat lost in flue gas into electricity. Many processes producing heat simply expend hot gases which results in lost energy. The conversion system that we want to use will generate electricity to supply the furnace’s emergency power needs. Recovering this heat means that you are saving energy and costs by not having to run generators,” explains Zietsman.

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Zietsman says that this type of technology is becoming cost competitive for the renewable energy industry because it used to be expensive to convert heat into energy (especially on a small scale). “We could have been doing this a long time ago, but we always had to compete with cheap energy. This is all starting to change, which means that our entire industry is changing along with the needs of our customers and South African citizens as a whole.” Biomass-to-electricity Process Projects have also been involved in medium scale biomass-toelectricity projects in South Africa. “In 2008, Process Projects was appointed the project manager and ‘engineer’ of the Cape Clean Energy Solutions wood fired power station in George, Western Cape,” says Zietsman. This project is currently in the fabrication stage and it intends to generate ‘green’ electricity for the George Local Municipality. “The design of the plant included a wood handling yard complete with chipper, a 42 barg boiler producing superheated steam feeding an 8.8MWe steam turbine. The steam is to be condensed in an air cooled condenser to conserve water. Power from the turbine is to be put into the George 11kV grid,” explains Zietsman. The Central Energy Fund (CEF) reported that the use of wood residues to produce electricity had economic as well as environmental benefits.

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“Besides being a source of energy, this project also reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by supplying clean electricity as opposed to electricity generated from fossil fuels,” says Zietsman. He feels that our environment is an important focus of the company. Process Projects also has a strong community focus. This has lead them to contributing to a small scale gasification-to-power project in Mozambique. “People tend to be focused on the local needs of fellow South Africans, but there is a very strong need for rural electrification amongst our neighbours in Mozambique,” says Zietsman. The gasification-to-power project in Mozambique started in July 2009, when the World Bank put out an enquiry calling for proposals “for innovative pilot projects that demonstrate new approaches to modernising biomass energy in Sub-Saharan Africa”. Zietsman and a group of like minded individuals got together to submit a creative and effective proposal. “We proposed providing five villages in Mozambique with 15kW generators powered by biomass gasifiers,” says Zietsman. The World Bank awarded the group with a $150 000 grant in order to make this project realise. “Process Projects are assisting the group by providing the design and fabrication drawings of the gasifiers. These gasifiers will provide synthesis gas to modified Nissan 1400 engines driving 15kW three phase generators. Biomass that can be used include coconut shells, chipped wood, wood chunks, corn cobs and more.”

How chemical plants are built From small scale to large projects, the company designs and builds chemical plants on behalf of their clients on an EPCM basis which consists of the following: • Engineering: Basic and detailed • Procurement: Enquiries, orders, sub-contracts, expediting • Construction: Management, safety, environment and quality • Management: Project management and services, accounting, risk management

One of the large scale projects that required a few years of dedication from the Process Projects team was when the company assisted an international company to generate power from municipal solid waste (MSW). “We needed to carry out extensive research about the technologies that were available and the process of the chemical plant needed precise planning,” says Capelin. The MSW, in this instance, needed to be delivered to the plant where it would be sorted to remove metal, glass and inorganic material. The residue would then be dried and stored in silos before being fed to gasifiers. The synthesis gas would then be cleaned up before being passed to gas turbines to generate power. An alternative that was investigated was to use the Fischer Tropsch process to produce oil from the gas using a similar process to that used by Sasol. “Due to the EU incentive for producing power from renewable means, power was the most economical solution. However, should oil go above $100/bbl, the production of fuel would be more attractive. This project was valued at $300m and is currently on hold due to the global financial credit crunch,” says Capelin. Why are engineering contractors used for these plants? The scope of the chemical plant production industry has changed and engineering contractors have become a key resource to South African companies that are looking to invest in chemical plants. “Many large companies have scaled down their project teams, which has caused a significant demand for skilled engineers and project managers in the chemical plant sector,” says Zietsman. When asked about how Process Projects copes with the vast differences of the scope, scale and ultimate goals of each project, Zietsman explains that although the construction of each chemical plant is challenging, each project is carried out using a tried and tested formula. “It is like building a house. Each house is different but each requires a builder, a plumber and an electrician to complete it. We do the same thing with projects.”

From small projects to large scale initiatives Wendy Capelin, Sales Manager at Process Projects, explains that the scopes of these types of projects are often underestimated. “Chemical plants often start out as a bare field with absolutely nothing. The plant has to be designed, materials need to be bought, authorisation for the project is needed, contractors have to be appointed – the list goes on,” says Capelin. “Many of our large scale projects take between two to three years to complete.”

“Process Projects’ main strength is process engineering, but we have a highly developed project management system that has developed over decades of project execution,” says Zietsman before concluding that the evolving business and changing functions of the company is what keeps them on their toes when building chemical plants.

Process Projects Tel: +27 11 445 2300 E-mail: rex@process.co.za Website: www.process.co.za 2 5 o in A f rica

rene wab les Left: Employees are able to rent a space in the Benoni factory, where they have access to the tools and materials used to build SWH systems. They are then able to sell compiled systems back to Powerz-On. Far left: South African manufacturers of local SWH systems create robust, versatile solar energy solutions.

Is there a market for locally manufactured solar energy products? South Africa’s abundant sunshine, mild climate, and technological know how makes it ideal for solar energy technology applications. The renewable energy market is booming as people from all over the world become aware of rising electricity prices and the need for alternative solutions.

Remember the hunt for generators?

t the Solar Water Heating (SWH) conference on 5 November 2009, Energy Minister Diphuo Peters told delegates that the Renewables 2007 global status report showed that over US$100-billion was invested in renewable energy capacity, manufacturing plants and research development. It’s interesting to know that the largest share of annual investment in renewable energy came from Germany, China, the United States, Spain, Japan and India. “Despite the fact that Africa has abundant renewable energy sources, we don’t see it featuring anywhere in the list and this needs to be corrected,” said Peters.

Van Aardt refers to the 2008 black outs, where households and businesses were forced to buy generators in order to supply electricity, when explaining the problem with cheap imports. “When everybody rushed out to buy generators, there were month long waiting lists followed by a supply of cheaper, low quality imports,” says Van Aardt. “When the product defaulted or needed servicing, the suppliers had disappeared because they were opportunistic fly-by-night companies. I think that the amount of SWH systems that are imported to South Africa are going to give the industry a bad name. One must, however, understand that there are many who have a brilliant back-up system. The South African continues to be street-wise”.

Taking back the power

How green are solar imports?

Powerz-On Solar Systems, a division of the CSI group, has become one of the leading local producers of solar energy products, supplying products not only to South Africa, but also neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia. Their in-house manufactured Flat Plate Water Heater is a competitive alternative for South Africans who want to supply locally manufactured SWH systems, reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to a sustainable local industry.

A Market Survey of Solar Water Heating in South Africa for the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) of the Central Energy Fund (CEF), which is available at www.cef.org.za, recommended that SWHs be subsidised by a cash amount which is equal to the value of the avoided environmental costs, including greenhouse gases, over the life of the solar water heater.

Director Theuns van Aardt at the Powerz-On production centre in Benoni, says that the commercial and residential markets are increasingly turning to the local solar energy industry for supplies. “I’m amazed at the positive reaction we’ve been getting,” says Van Aardt. “Locally manufactured products are gaining popularity. Not only because of their ability to create jobs for South Africans and boost the local economy, but also because the buyers are looking for quality products from trusted local suppliers.”

Van Aardt believes that the commercial and residential markets have been waiting for an alternative to imported SWH systems. “If the product is bought locally, it is easy to get fixed, exchanged or modified – that is something that cheaper imports can not offer,” explains Van Aardt. “Delivery from overseas can take months and when you order a container of SWH products, it often happens that you don’t have a guarantee and you have to make do with what you get.”

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“A solar water heating system will definitely reduce the carbon footprint of a house in terms of energy use, but importing that system doesn’t do anything for the environment. The greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere in order to ship these products to South Africa means that local SWH suppliers of imported products may be supplying a green product to the market, but they aren’t acting in an environmentally friendly way,” says Van Aardt. Empowering our people The Powerz-On manufacturing unit in Benoni currently employs 50 people

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who are not only learning new skills, but also getting the opportunity to invest in this sustainable industry. “We want to give our employees access to their own small business,” says Van Aardt. “In the factory, employees can rent their own space where they have access to the materials and tools we use to make solar water heating systems. They can then sell the system back to us so that they make a profit.” A solution for Africans, by Africans Despite many high quality SWH systems that are imported to South Africa, Van Aardt feels that the industry has been waiting for something that meets the distinct needs of South Africans. “There aren’t only cheap, low quality products being imported. There are also extremely good SWH systems from overseas manufacturers. The problem I have with these is that they are very often too big, difficult to install and so obviously unfit for the majority of people that need SWH systems,” says Van Aardt. According to Van Aardt, the lack of products that fitted the needs of South Africans is what lead Powerz-On to the creation of one of there most popular SWH units, called the Chigubhu. “This is a robust, African solution that puts solar water heating into the hands of the poorest of the poor and we at Powerz-On believe that it’s the future of solar water heating systems for the masses in Africa,” says Van Aardt.

Above: This SWH system has become popular for its simplicity and portability, making it the ultimate African solution.

“Even though SWH systems are currently slightly more expensive to manufacture locally, this will drop as more people start investing in the local industry,” says Van Aardt before explaining that the Powerz-On product is only marginally more expensive that imported goods. “It’s a very competitive alternative to imported products and in many cases, it’s proved to be more efficient and of a higher quality. I want to tell the industry – let’s go local! The more we grow, the more the prices will drop.” The CEF market survey also states that long term investments, such as government policies, expected price reductions and stable incentives for the SWH market are a precondition for driving down the price/experience curve. A price reduction of 20% was envisaged as being reasonable for the next 20 years (this statement is qualified by a cautionary note that price reductions don’t follow automatically with increasing numbers, if incentives are perceived to be short-term or fraught with risk). Is there a market for South African suppliers?

The Chigubhu consists of a 25 litre can, a flat panel and a stand and its popularity has risen due to its simplicity and portability. “Eventually this product will cost under ZAR R1 000. Although people in rural developments might not be able to afford it, the UN, for example, can,” says Van Aardt. “The Chigubhu is also favored by 4 x 4 enthusiasts. It folds up neatly and it’s exactly what you need when going on a 4 x 4 holiday in Africa.” Besides being able to supply customised products to the South African market, Powerz-On also supplies complete systems. “There is a huge need for complete SWH systems in South Africa. Our package includes everything you need – a panel, geyser and all the fittings,” says Van Aardt. Price differences: But imports are cheaper In a memorandum to all Eskom Demand Side Management (DSM) participants on 11 January, Eskom announced a drastic change to its Solar Water Heating Programme. Due to increased pressure on the government to ensure that SWH plays a significant role in reducing electricity constrains, the rebate on these systems has increased to allow a five year payback period. “The popular Powerz-On solar water heating system that is usually purchased for South African households had a recommended retail price of ZAR14 000. With the new rebate adjustment, ZAR5 100 has been taken off the price, so it is just under ZAR10 000 now. To most people, that sounds like a good price,” says Van Aardt.

“Government aims to have one million SWH systems installed within the next five years. This goal equals 16 000 per month,” explains Van Aardt. “Less than half of this demand can currently be met by local SWH suppliers. People that are looking to get into the industry should know that there is definitely room for South Africans to supply and distribute locally. People that want to get into the industry might be worried about the competition across the road, but it’s an open market at this stage and there is so much scope for people to supply locally,” says Van Aardt. The local SWH industry is growing – there is an opportunity for South Africans to get in on this market and continue to grow with it. The entire world is turning to renewable energy and this is only the beginning of a completely new way of living,” concludes Van Aardt. Source: www.cef.org.za/solar_market_survey.pdf Powerz-On Solar Systems • 100% locally manufactured flat plate collector • Residential and factory installations • Customised solutions • SABS tested • Eskom rebated • Variety of sizes • Low maintenance costs • Finance available Powerz-On Solar Systems Tel: +27 11 9650127 E-mail: info@powerz-on.co.za Website: www.powerz-on.co.za

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Wind turbines for 3 000 rural schools in SA – funding

needed

There are currently over 3 000 schools in South Africa that are operating without electricity. Ben Sassman, from Surplus South Africa, has embarked on a renewable energy project that will use wind turbines to give electricity to these rural and township schools. Ben Sassman plans to use wind energy to provide electricity to rural and township schools in South Africa

riginally from an international trade and investment background, Sassman has been concerned with finding a solution to electrify schools and clinics in South Africa for some time. In 2001, he founded Network Surplus Trading (trading as Surplus South Africa), in an attempt to make a significant change in the lives of thousands of learners in our country. Getting approval and permission for this project has not been easy and after all the groundwork has been done, it seems as if funding for the pilot project is the only challenge that stands in his way. Cost per school Sassman’s first port of call was to get approval from the Department of Education (DOE). Not only did he need the DOE’s permission to install these turbines on the school property, but he also had to provide an official list of names, addresses and contact details for the 3 000+ schools which are currently operating without electricity.

“I basically have to complete the first installation to show corporates South Africa that renewable energy is an immediate solution,” says Sassman. “We constantly hear stories of top matric learners coming from a community with no access to electricity, CEOs of our nation’s top companies and even our Presidents coming from communities where electricity was a luxury,” says Sassman. “The technology is available to electrify these schools in the form of renewable energy, be it solar, wind or a solar/wind hybrids: the cost for wind turbines per school is only ZAR160k.”

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Electricity, computers, printers and light bulbs Sassman plans to install 3kW Kestrel wind turbine at the schools, which will be enough electricity to provide energy for the school’s lights, computers and other equipment that requires electricity. Microsoft and Intel Computers have agreed to supply educational software and (mini) computers to a few of the first schools that will receive wind turbine energy and Sassman has also begun to approach other manufacturers to supply light bulbs, photocopy machines, printers and geysers for hot water. “I do not want the schools to layout any money for this project as schools are allocated annual budgets and any additional costs will take money away from more important expenses such as books and stationary for the learners,” says Sassman. Everything is set in place, but still no funding Many local financial institutions and municipalities that service the areas where the schools are located have been approached, but to no avail. Sassman needs to set up the first wind turbine project at one of the schools as a pilot project to prove how the school will benefit. Sassman is currently approaching all types of institutions and researching all his options to secure the funding he needs for the first installation. “I basically have to complete the first installation to show corporates South Africa that renewable energy is an immediate solution. After that, I can approach corporate for sponsorships to continue the School Electrification Project in the form of an Adopt-a-School programme,” says Sassman. Sassman hopes to have the first turbine up and running in time to secure SCI funding from the 2010 SA Corporate budgets. He can be contacted on ben@surplussouthafrica.co.za should you require any information on his project or should you be interested in becoming a sponsor for one of the schools.

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SWH for 2-million low-cost homes

he SA Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, announced the launch of an Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) that would promote jobs, training and energy efficiency adaption on the 25th of November. The programme would also offer the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and respiratory-related diseases and saving in the cost of energy services.

Blueworldcarbon.com, CDM Gold Standard was initiated by the WWF and it’s a quality label endorsed by major NGOs. The Gold Standard is an independently audited best practice benchmark for CDM projects that deliver high quality carbon credits of premium value. It’s hoped that the success of this project will lead to the retrofitting of the country’s other two million low-cost homes and further promote energy saving, emissions reductions and the local manufacturing of solar heaters.

Reducing fossil fuel based consumption The Kuyasa Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project aims to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, and hence carbon dioxide emissions. This is done through three interventions in over 2 000 low-cost homes: • The installation of solar energy heaters. • Retrofitting of compact fluorescent light bulbs. • Introduction of ceiling insulation. Carbon credits to pay for maintenance The energy savings of the project allows it to be registered as a CDM under the Kyoto Protocol, which means that it can gain carbon credits. Income generated from the CDM’s Carbon Emission Reduction certificates will go to a non-profit trust for the maintenance of the solar water heaters.

According to Mabudafhasi, the extensive use of the CDM intervention will lead to the reduction of pollution caused by the use of non-renewable energy sources. “We simply cannot afford not to roll-out energy efficiency intervention in the low-income housing sector. Currently, an estimated three million households make use of firewood to meet their basic energy requirements. There is huge potential to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the total energy mix. This can only contribute to improving the lives of all the people,” says Mabudafhasi. The programme has created over 16 500 temporary jobs and 85 full-time job opportunities for women, youth and the disabled.

The world’s first Gold Star rating

“The small business development, job creation and community empowerment benefits of the project are massive. The project has created 85 full-time job opportunities for women, youth and the disabled and over 16 500 temporary jobs. It is encouraging that the community has taken ownership of the project in line with its motto – Siyazenzela (We are doing it for ourselves).”

The Kuyasa Clean Development Mechanism Project is the first of its kind in South Africa and the world’s first Gold Standard Project. According to

Information was obtained from: www.blueworldcarbon.com, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

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Training initiative teaches people to install

solar water heaters Right: Soweto model Katlego Modise steals the show and proves that a solar water heater, assembled just an hour before she took her shower is full to the brim with water warm enough to keep her smiling.

Above: Trainees selected for solar water heating installation training programme in Soweto, a joint initiative between leading German solar energy company Schueco, local partner Alltube, and the Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), launched on 7 December 2009.

n Monday, 7 December 2009, a training session on solar water heating systems was launched in Soweto. A total of 48 trainees (16 trainees are trained at a time) will soon find themselves ahead of the pack in the field of installing and maintaining solar energy solutions thanks to a public-private initiative between Schüco, a leading German company in sustainable building envelopes and energy-efficient solutions, its local South African partner Alltube (Pty) Ltd, and the Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft

After only two and a half hours, the Schüco system (which can hold 150 litres of water) had heated the water. (DEG). The project forms part of a German Public Private Partnership (PPP), highlighting a joint collaboration that is intended to address the skills shortage around solar energy expertise in South Africa. Alltube manages the training component of the project, using Schüco modules and expertise, with partial funding provided by the DEG. On the 7th of December, the first group of trainees began their second phase of training. The group of 16 candidates has already completed the first phase of training, which consisted of a plumbing module.

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Above: Norbert Harbig, the head of the Training Department at Schüco, explains to trainees how solar water heating systems are installed.

The second component of their training includes a general course on solar energy, where they’ll learn the basics of solar heating and installation, to be followed by a third session conducted by an expert trainer from Schüco, which deals with the intricacies of the Schüco solar water heating system. “Many companies in South Africa now offer a range of solar water heating and other energy-saving products, but few provide the necessary training to ensure that sufficient knowledge and expertise exists to support these solutions, said Johannes Muecke, CEO of Alltube. “This partnership represents an opportunity to provide world-class products, along with ongoing skills support to create a pool of accredited practitioners in the field.” To demonstrate the effectiveness of the Schüco solar water heating system, the group of trainees set up one of these systems outside where the launch event was held. A local model from Soweto, Katlego Modise, donned a bathing suit and took a shower in order to prove that the water was in fact heated. After only two and a half hours, the Schüco system (which can hold 150 litres of water)had heated the water. The solar energy solutions provided by Schüco, and the services of Alltube, have been used in a variety of private, industrial and commercial buildings in South Africa, including residences, schools, hospitals, and bed and breakfast establishments. For more information, visit www.schueco.com/www.schueco.co.za, or www.alltube.co.za to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

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40-million EUR loan

for renewable energy projects

n 1 December 2009, the European Investment Bank (EIB) agreed to provide a 40-million EUR loan to FirstRand Bank to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across South Africa. Although this is the fourth financial package provided to South Africa in 2009 by the EIB, this specific loan marks the first dedicated energy efficiency loan by the EIB for South Africa. The 40-million EUR loan is part of the EIB’s specific South African objectives and wider European Union policy goals concerning energy efficiency and it will be used to finance investments in a range of climate change mitigation activities in South Africa.

Rand Merchant Bank will be identifying eligible projects The sub-projects will be identified and individual loans structured by the investment banking division of FirstRand Bank Limited, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB). RMB is currently considering the development, construction and operation of two 3 MW mini-hydro power facilities at existing dams in rural areas of South Africa as a potential project. These power facilities are estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by a total of 30 000 tons per year. 900-million EUR for South Africa before 2013

“This loan is part of the European Investment Bank’s continued strong commitment to promoting economic development across South Africa. Working closely with FirstRand Bank to increase electricity generation capacity and promote use of renewable energy will make a key contribution to sustainable growth in the country,” says Plutarchos Sakellaris, EIB Vice-President responsible for activities in South Africa. The total investment estimate of the current pipeline of eligible projects is 100-million EUR, to which EIB would contribute 40%. “FirstRand welcomes the EIB’s significant contribution and looks forward to sourcing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that can provide power for South Africans and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions using EIB funding” added Sizwe Nxasana, Chief Executive Officer, FirstRand Bank.

The EIB has a specific mandate for funding in South Africa. In October 2007, the EIB signed a Declaration of Intent with the Government of the Republic of South Africa, pledging financial support to the country until 2013. From 2007 to 2013, the EIB will lend up to 900-million EUR to South Africa. The EIB works closely with the South African authorities, public bodies, private companies and the financial sector to facilitate investment in infrastructure projects of public interest (including municipal infrastructure, power and water supply) and private sector support. For more information, visit www.bei.org, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

Masdar’s new

rooftop mounted solar system

ockweiler AG, a leading international manufacturer of stainless steel tube systems, recently had Masdar PVs thin-film based solar modules installed on the roof of its new production facilities in Neustadt-Glewe, Germany, by system integrator Ralos. This was the first time that Masdar’s modules were utilized for a rooftop mounted solar system. “We are delighted that our solar modules are now being used for the first time in a roof mounted system – shortly after having equipped the first open space solar park with them. System integrator Ralos has been awarded the contract for planning and installing the equipment and we are hoping to work with them on future projects as well,” said Joachim Nell, CEO of Masdar PV. Ecological responsibility in future expansions The solar modules that are installed on the flat roof of the production hall at Dockweiler will use the sun’s rays for electricity. “With our new production building we have prepared for our future expansion. Together with Masdar PV and our installed solar panels we also undertake a further step and ensure in the future the combination of entrepreneurial business with even more ecological responsibility,” says Gerhard Tegtmeyer, CEO of Dockweiler.

Nell believes that more and more companies will follow the Dockweiler example by making use of open areas and factory roofs to generate electricity using solar modules and thereby providing economic advantages for their businesses. “As our thin-film PV-modules produce outstanding returns with the diffuse sunlight conditions we have here in Germany, we are expecting great future demand for our products,” concludes Nell. For more information, visit www.masdarpv.com, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given. 2 5 o in A f rica

nu clear energy

Emerging nuclear energy countries The World Nuclear Association has recently listed more than 30 countries that are actively considering embarking upon nuclear power programs as emerging nuclear energy countries. These countries range from developed to developing nations and Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Namibia have been recognised as emerging nuclear energy countries in central and southern Africa. Nigeria

nuclear power to the country’s energy mix and in May 2008, the government said it planned to have 400 MWe of nuclear capacity by 2018. In 2006, Nigeria produced 23-billion kWh from about 6 GWe of plant; 58% of production was from gas, 33% from hydro. The per capita consumption of this country is 113 kWh per year.

Ghana joined the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) in September 2007 and it has had a small Chinese research reactor since 1994. Uganda

Nigeria’s first research reactor is a 30 kW Chinese Miniature Neutron Source Reactor and it was commissioned at the Ahmadu Bello University in 2004. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assisted the Nigerian government with the project, to “reinforce and widen the human resource base to sustain nuclear technology” in relation to medical technology, geochemistry, mineral and petrochemical analysis and exploration. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and second biggest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to address rapidly increasing base-load electricity demand, Nigeria has sought the support of the IAEA to develop plans for up to 4000 MWe of nuclear capacity by 2025. In 2008, Alhassan Bako Zaku, the Minister of Science and Technology reaffirmed that the government is determined to initiate its nuclear energy program by approving a technical framework for it. By mid 2008, the target was moved forward to having up to 5 000 MWe of nuclear capacity by 2017.

In 2008, Uganda’s Atomic Energy Bill came into effect to regulate the use of ionising radiation and provide a framework to develop nuclear power generation. The government has signed an agreement with IAEA to initiate moves in that direction. Namibia More than half of Namibia’s electricity supply was supplied by South Africa in 2006. Most of Namibia’s energy is generated from hydro, but a coal-fired plant is planned for Walvis Bay. Namibia holds about 7% of the world’s uranium reserves and the country has two significant uranium mines capable of providing 10% of world mining output. The country has committed to a policy position of supplying its own electricity from a nuclear power plant by 2018.

Russian power reactor to be built Investments in nuclear power needed Russia signed a cooperation agreement with Nigeria in March 2009 which included provision for uranium exploration and mining in the country. In June 2009, another broad agreement with Russia envisaged the construction of a Russian power reactor and a new research reactor in Nigeria. Ghana In 2006, Ghana produced 8,4-billion kWh gross and 67% of this was from hydro. In 2007, the government announced that it planned to introduce

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Although there is a large number of emerging nuclear energy countries, World-nuclear.org notes that they will not make a significant contribution to the expansion of nuclear capacity in the foreseeable future. The main growth will come in countries where the technology is already well established and governments from the countries mentioned above need to create the environment for investment in nuclear power in order for the nuclear capacity to grow. Source: www.world-nuclear.org

n uc l ear energ y

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“Whilst this is not part of the NIRP process, we want to emphasize the need to urgently create the Independent System Operator (ISO) as required by the Electricity Regulation Act. This will assist us fully to exploit the IPP option. Currently there is approximately 417MW of generation capacity that is immediately available from cogeneration, about 1000MW from renewable energy generation, and 4000MW from IPPs. These can only be introduced once the ISO is in place. NIRP to be reviewed in 2 years The NIRP will be reviewed and adapted every few years to ensure that the estimations and outcomes are aligned. “The NIRP is a continuous cyclical modelling process that is repeated every two to three years, depending on the need, to determine the best options that could be undertaken to balance electricity demand with supply. The process is continuous because it depends on the input assumptions that are made, and the outcomes are sensitive to these assumptions,” said Peters. The resource plan has also presented Eskom with a set of new challenges, such as finding funding to ensure that electricity from the Kusile power station is still delivered to the national grid by 2013. A few days before this

SA opens door for IPPs On the 3rd of December 2009, the government opened the door for independent power producers (IPPs) by announcing the National Integrated Resource Plan. In addition to this plan, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said that the department is also creating a new entity, the Independent System Operator (ISO), which will not reside within Eskom.

“W

e have reached a delicate situation which requires us to take bold and decisive decisions about the type of the current and future energy requirements for our country,” said Peters. “In order to provide the necessary regulatory and legislative instruments the Electricity Act makes provision for the introduction of the National Integrated Resource Plan (NIRP), which is defined as a resource plan established by the national sphere of government to give effect to national policy.”

announcement, Eskom had announced that it was going to delay construction of this power station in order to save money, but Peters said that Eskom and its shareholders would have to work together to source the funding because planning couldn’t stop just because of a lack of money. Eskom has launched an ambitious expansion programme, valued at ZAR385billion, in order to fund the Kusile and Medupi power stations and meet the increasing electricity demand of the country. On the 11th of December, the power utility announced that it had signed export credit agency loans of 705-million Euros for its Kusile power station. This loan was agreed to by four international banks (Germany’s KfW IPEX-Bank, HSBC, The Bank of TokyoMitsubishi UFJ and Deutsche Bank) and three South African banks (Standard Bank, Nedbank Capital and Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited). On the 28th of December, Eskom again announced that it had signed a loan agreement of 1 185-million Euros (approximately ZAR13-billion) with five French banks to use for the funding of Kusile and Medupi power stations.

Urgent need for Independent System Operator

“Through the NIRP we are ensuring that, like the trapeze artists, we balance our energy mix over a 20-year horizon. We will do this driven solely by the desire to balance the environmental, financial, as well as supply imperatives”, said Peters.

Although the ISO isn’t part of the NIRP, this entity will ensure that Eskom is no longer the player and the refugee in the South African energy environment. The ISO will be able to exploit the full potential of IPPs because it will be the entity responsible for purchasing electricity from these IPPs and, according to Peters, this entity can be up and running within three months.

Department of Energy Tel: +27 12 679 9042 Fax: +27 12 679 9061 E-mail: Solomon.Phetla@dme.gov.za Website: www.dme.gov.za

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e l e c tri c it y

Director of DME

mphi Aphane, the Chief Director for Electricity at the Department of Energy (DME), recently spoke to 25º in Africa about the National Integrated Resource Plan (NIRP) which was announced early in December 2009. This plan, which opens the doors for independent power producers (IPPs), is set to be up and running by March 2010. Aphane believes that the NIRP will provide the incentives needed in order to save electricity as well as avoid building new power stations. “We are providing financial incentives in the NIRP for people to save electricity. We would be able to save one or two power stations if people used less electricity. By 2013, approximately 3 056 MW would have been saved – this is equal to a big power station. It’s definitely cheaper to save electricity than to build new resources,” said Aphane. The NIRP intends to not only educate users about energy efficiency, but provide meaningful financial incentives to save electricity. “Basically what we are saying is that we don’t want to introduce more supply side options to the public. We’re going to focus more on demand side alternatives and interventions to save the electricity that we have.” 30% of electricity is wasted According to Aphane, 30% of electricity in South Africa gets wasted due to technical and non-technical losses. “People aren’t saving as much electricity as they are supposed to,” explains Aphane. “This isn’t an infrastructure issue

– it’s a tariff issue. The tariff’s are low and consumers, for instance, aren’t switching off their lights because they know they will not receive a huge electricity bill at the end of the month if they leave their lights on all day.” When asked if he believes that the Kusile power station would be able to deliver electricity to the national grid, Aphane was not convinced. “The Kusile power station won’t necessarily be delivering electricity to the grid by 2013 – they aren’t fast tracking to action. We are rather focusing on saving the country’s demand than providing more and more supplies.” During the announcement of the NIRP, the DME also created a new entity called the Independent System Operator (ISO), which will not reside within Eskom. This entity will be responsible for purchasing electricity from IPPs in South Africa. “The ISO creates an institutional platform that is not conflicted,” says Aphane. “There won’t be a buying or selling interest like Eskom has at present. This will be more facilitative in including other power producers in the country.” Department of Energy Tel: +27 12 679 9042 Fax: +27 12 679 9061 E-mail: Solomon.Phetla@dme.gov.za Website: www.dme.gov.za

$54-million order

from Eskom to improve power plant efficiency

ower and automation technology group ABB has won an order from state-owned power utility Eskom to provide electrical and automation solutions for three of its largest plants. The order is worth $54-million and ABB has been tasked to improve the reliability and energy efficiency with their solutions. In order to boost efficiency and extend the service life of the thermal power stations, ABB will be conducting a performance analysis and refurbishment of motors in the designated Eskom power plants. ABB is responsible for the design, installation and commissioning of the electrical and automation equipment in each of the three plants, of which each plant has six generating units and a combined capacity of approximately 4 000 MW. “Energy-efficient generation can make a significant contribution to our collective effort to reduce fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions,” says Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division.

New products for the plants Equipment such as dry-type transformers and energy-efficient variable-speed drives, as well as several other products will be supplied by ABB. The drives that are used will optimise the performance of boiler-feed water pumps that typically consume around 2,5% of the energy generated by a coal-fired power plant. “Our innovative technologies, extensive global experience, and knowledge of power generation processes, enable our customers to enhance the reliability and efficiency of their power plants,” says Leupp. ABB South Africa Tel: +27 86 022 2123 E-mail: info@za.abb.com Website: www.abb.co.za

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electri cit y

that 1,5-billion people live without electricity

report titled “The Energy Access Situation in Developing Countries, A Review Focusing on the Least Developed Countries and Sub-Saharan Africa” showed that a quarter of humanity live without electricity – 80% of these people being in the least developed countries (LCDs) of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. A further three billion people (half of the world’s population) have to rely on solid fuels because they don’t have access to modern energy services.

Developing countries have low targets

The report was produced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and it intended to draw attention to the energy access situation in poor and developing countries. Data from the report is critical for developing policies and programmes to address energy poverty and get financing for the expansion of modern energy services in these countries.

Developing countries are also lagging behind when it comes to expanding their access to modern energy services, with only 68 of the 140 developing countries having established targets for access to electricity, 17 having targets for access to modern fuels and five countries for access to mechanical power.

In LCDs and sub-Saharan Africa, only 7% of people who rely on solid fuels use improved cooking stoves to reduce indoor smoke and two million people die from causes associated with exposure to smoke from cooking with biomass and coal every year. The use of solid fuels in these countries also attribute to 50% of all deaths from pneumonia in children under five years, chronic lung disease and lung cancer in adults, compared to 38% in developing countries.

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One of the eight Millennium Development Goals is to decrease the proportion of people living in poverty by 50% by 2015. According to the report, 1,2billion more people need to get access to electricity and two billion people need access to modern fuels like natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas, in order to achieve this goal.

Targets need to be set to track the progress and accountability of energy access strategies. The report notes that massive efforts need to be made to expand the range, quality and quantity of energy services that are available to the poor. For more information (or to download the report), visit www.undp.org/energy, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

e l e c tri c it y

Governments’ role

in facilitating financing for energy services Low-income individuals, homes and businesses typically have limited options when it comes to accessing small-scale finance for the purchase of modern energy services.

hese small-scale finance options (such as small loans, credit and other financial products) are very important for expanding access to the type of energy services that are sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly. The barriers that withhold poor people from accessing this type of finance need to be removed and a new report shows that governments at certain levels can be the answer to this problem. A UNDP report, titled “Bringing Small-Scale Finance to the Poor for Modern Energy Services: What is the role of government? Experiences from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nepal & Tanzania” shows that local and national governments can be the key to giving these people access to modern energy services such as lighting, refrigeration and mechanical power by putting the processes in place for them to access financing. For people to switch to modern energy solutions, leadership from government is needed to enact regulations and put policies into place so that small-scale financing, which is directed at energy, is available to the people. The benefits of carefully designed programmes would be two-fold: the productive use of energy and modern energy services will be promoted and lending for energy makes good sense for financial institutions. For more information (or to download the report), visit www.undp.org/energy, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

What actions should government take? Four cases from developing countries were examined for the UNDP report and a specific set of action to be taken by government emerged from the findings: • The current situation needs to be analysed so that objective baseline information about priority regions is available to local energy enterprises and financial institutions. Government needs to take leadership in identifying opportunities so that energy enterprises and financial institutions can expand lending for energy. • Small-scale finance options with natural rural energy and policies need enabling conditions. Government can share their experiences and lessons, thereby reinforcing energy and finance initiatives, by leveraging budgets and institutional capacity across sectors. • Governments should provide a platform for information sharing and collaboration among sectors to facilitate partnerships with financial institutions and energy enterprises serving the poor. To do this, government should adopt standards for good business practices for providing small-scale finance for energy, allocate funds for research and development of products that are tailored to meet the needs of the poor, participate in regional micro-finance and support learning exchanges with other financial institutions that are active in small-scale finance for modern energy. • Governments can support raising the awareness on how small-scale finance can make a difference and help provide credible information on energy lending in order to monitor and evaluate the impact and growth of the initiative.

Case studies: • Burkina Faso: The government provided co-financing for community-based energy systems, highlighting a multi-functional platform that was a stand-alone energy system in a rural area without electricity. The case study shows the potential for public-private partnerships and illustrates the demand for small-scale finance to support income-generating activities. • Kenya: The government undertook major policy steps (such as removing Value Added Tax and import duties) on modern cooking fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) so that poorer households would be able to purchase these products. • Nepal: The country’s Solar Energy Support Programme was documented, which installed more than 100 000 solar home systems (SHSs). The case study shows the necessity of effective collaboration between microfinance institutions, government and solar enterprises. • Tanzania: The case study for this country examined the Promotion of Renewable Energy in Tanzania (PRET) programme and it showed that government’s partnering with PRET increased its potential for sustainability and scale up.

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eNE R GY E FFICIEN CY

BASF presented concepts for sustainable construction at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company for Masdar hosted the summit.

World Energy Summit

sees innovative solutions

he World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates took place from 18 – 21 January 2010. Insulation materials for buildings, black pigments for reducing surface heat and concrete admixtures helping to lower CO2 emissions are just a few examples of the solutions that BASF presented at their stand under the theme “Building sustainability. Your partner for sustainable construction solutions”. The organiser of the fair is the project company for the future Masdar City, the world’s first CO2-neutral and zero-waste city that is planned to be built by 2016 in the desert of the Abu Dhabi Emirate some 30 km outside the city of the same name. BASF has been the strategic partner for the construction of Masdar City and preferred supplier of building materials and system solutions since August 2009. BASF’s globally available extensive range of products and system solutions are adapted to suit the requirements of the local construction industry. Architectural traditions and climatic conditions are taken into account during this process. “The construction and use of buildings play a crucial role in climate protection. With its products and system solutions for sustainable construction, BASF is significantly contributing,” explains Dr. Tilman Krauch, head of BASF’s Construction Chemicals division. “We provide our ustomers in the construction industry with highly efficient concepts, economically and ecologically.” The following BASF products were demonstrated at the World Future Energy Summit: • Reduction of CO2 emissions during concrete manufacture: BASF provides the high-performance plasticisers sold under the brand name Glenium® Sky for the manufacturing of concrete. They ensure that the quality of the concrete is preserved during transport, the concrete can be processed more easily at the building site on account of its fluidity and the finished concrete structures have a high strength and a long life. Glenium Sky also lowers CO2 emissions during the production of the concrete.

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• • • • •

Accelerated concrete hardening: A new Crystal Speed Hardening™ concept for contractors and precast producers has been developed by BASF. This product helps to speed up concrete hardening significantly at early stages (6-12 hours), supporting at least double strength at low, ambient and heat curing temperatures. It also has a positive impact on energy efficiency by eliminating or reducing heat curing of concrete. Versatile polyurethane plastics – from the cladding of cold air pipes to coastal protection: The market segments of building and insulation in the Gulf region offer a wide range of opportunities for the use of the polyurethane plastics Elastopor® H and Elastopir® in BASF’s Polyurethanes division. Sandwich elements, insulation boards and spray-applied foam are ideal for energy-efficient and uncomplicated construction both in the industrial sector and in private housing. Saving cooling energy by means of Neopor® and Styrodur® C: Neopor is an innovative material for the insulation of walls, roofs and floors. Calculations carried out by the Passivhaus Institute in Darmstadt, Germany show that, in hot climatic zones, insulation panels made of Neopor significantly reduce overheating and the hours of active cooling. At least 40% of the cooling energy can be saved in this way (depending on the type and design of a house) and CO2 emissions lowered. Energy efficiency using façade systems: Wall systems that consist of multiple layers for insulating and protecting exterior surfaces was presented. These systems, which are under the Senergy® brand name, make it possible to cool buildings efficiently and thus reduce the consumption of energy. Black pigments for reducing surface heat: The black pigments Paliogen®, Lumogen® and Sicopal® for deflecting heat from surfaces, have been developed by BASF. These carbon black pigments prevent the absorption of the invisible near infrared radiation (unlike conventional carbon black pigments) which account for more than 50% of the incident solar energy.

BASF Holdings South Africa (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 11 203 2422 Fax: +27 11 203 2430 E-mail: petra.bezuidenhout@basf.com

e NERGY EFF I C I ENCY

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eNE R GY E FFICIEN CY

d up to d a s e z Pri 0K ZAR20

Eskom Energy-Efficient Lighting Design Competition

2010 Eskom is calling on all students and professionals to design an energy-efficient lighting system that is suited for the residential market and promote the concept of energy efficiency. The prize money of all the prizes adds up to ZAR200K and there are separate categories for student and professional submissions.

he goal of this competition is to demonstrate that efficient lighting technologies, such as discharge, fluorescent and LED technologies, can be used in very contemporary and attractive luminaires and lighting design systems intended for residential lighting. The winner of the competition will be walking away with ZAR30 000, the runner-up gets ZAR20 000 and the second runner-up takes ZAR10 000. The department at the tertiary institution of the winning student will win ZAR10 000. The winner in the innovative energy-efficient lighting design category will be awarded a cash prize of ZAR30 000 as well as the Sparks floating trophy. Winners will be awarded at the eta Awards function to be hosted by Eskom in October 2010. Evaluation criteria of the competition Luminaire design criteria: • Innovation and uniqueness of design • Cost-effectiveness • Use of an energy-efficient light source • Efficiency of luminaire, including the reflectors, lenses and diffuser systems • Marketing potential • Environmental friendliness of the design

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e NERGY EFF I C I ENCY

• • • • • • •

The extent to which the design is aesthetically pleasing (standard or decorative) Practical implementation, i.e. the ease with which the design can be manufactured by local SMMEs (small, medium and micro-enterprises) Compliance with applicable SANS standards Promotion of the concept of energy efficiency The extent to which the design will create jobs Compliance with ELI quality and safety standards Budget

Innovative energy-efficient lighting design criteria: • Innovative and safe approach used in the design • Use of an energy-efficient light source and/or system • Sustainability of the system / design • Incorporation and description of the basic scientific principles followed • Practical and cost-effective implementation • Environmental friendliness • Promotion of energy efficiency • Budget The entries will be judged by a representative panel of judges, selected on the basis of their experience and expertise in the lighting, electrical and design fields and the closing date for entries is the 30th of July, 2010. For more information about the competition, visit www.lighting-design.co.za

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eNE R GY E FFICIEN CY

Nedbank’s new head office development awarded SA’s first Green Star rated building

The building, due for completion in the first half of 2010, achieved a 4-star Green Star SA Office Design v1 rating, which signifies ‘best practice’ in green building. The design ratings are awarded at the end of the design process and are based on tender documentation. The ‘right’ thing for modern businesses to do

“Aurecon fulfills the role of mechanical engineer on

“We’ve finally moved beyond asking ‘why should we go green?’ to asking ‘why shouldn’t we?’” explains Jeff Robinson, Aurecon’s Principal Engineer and Sustainable Buildings Group Leader who provided constant technical support throughout the project. Robinson adds: “The oldest task in human history is to live on a piece of land without spoiling it. Profit aside, it’s the right thing for modern businesses to do”.

South Africa’s first Green Star rated building.”

he current economic situation has meant that, generally speaking, large project owners are starting to question the possibility of prioritising their overall spend in order to ensure they occupy a ‘sustainable’ building. The latter underscores the principle of investing in order to gain future paybacks. The ‘credit crunch’ has taken its toll, but this is not to say that sustainability is now on the back burner. If anything, becoming more energy efficient is an area of increasing priority as companies become more prudent about expenditure and ensure the design of their premises minimises future expenditure. Martin Smith, Aurecon’s national green building expert, fulfilled the role of mechanical engineer on South Africa’s first Green Star rated building. Phase II of Nedbank’s head office in Sandton, Johannesburg, has been certified as South Africa’s first Green Star SA Building under the Green Building Council of South Africa’s (GBCSA) Office v1 rating tool. A significant milestone for South Africa’s property industry, the achievement was announced at the 2nd annual GBCSA Convention & Exhibition in Cape Town.

When asked if achieving a Green Star rating was a simple process, Smith admits: “It’s a formidable challenge. Considering the Green Star requirements at the concept design phase of a project is essential. Participation of the whole design team is also a crucial factor in ensuring successful rating”. He stresses, though, that the checks and balances put in place ensure that the very best design methods are settled on as opposed to being able to claim a building is ‘efficient’, ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ without the necessary evidence to support this claim.

Jeff has worked as a consulting engineer for over 23 years and has been involved in the design of a wide variety of buildings. As an Accredited Green Star Professional and NABERS assessor, he has considerable expertise in the sustainable refurbishment of existing buildings and vast experience of practical measures that can be undertaken to substantially improve the energy, water, waste and indoor air quality performance of existing buildings. “We build buildings for people. The heating, access, views and fresh air are all aspects driven by the ‘human’ factor of construction. Companies are slowly starting to realise that greening a building is part and parcel of this philosophy. Investing in a building means a company empowers their people with a better future.” It’s not enough to say ‘let’s go green’ “It’s not enough to say ‘let’s go green’. We need to define what ‘green’ really means. To measure it. To track it. To prove that statement,” believes Robinson. And it’s exactly this that makes South Africa’s first official rating tool so effective. Developed by the GBCSA, the Green Star tool sets standards and benchmarks which determine what a ‘green building’ comprises. This tool can be used by developers and owners to ensure that they have considered all aspects related to ‘green’ design, ultimately resulting in their building being bcertified as a 4-, 5- or 6-star Green Star building. “Buildings are one of the leading sources of environmental damage, yet most organisations require assistance in deciding how to measure these impacts. The Green Star tool enables users to benchmark their building’s performance anywhere in the world,” says Robinson, adding that it’s a great way of combating the ‘green wash’ that so often muddies a consumer’s ability to discern between true and false claims as to a product’s ‘green status’. “A rating tool means everyone is on the same page and using the same yardstick,” he explains. Green Building Council reports a rise in the demand for a rating tool The GBCSA develops rating tools according to market demand, and has reported that the interest in green building and sustainability hasn’t slowed, despite the economic downturn. South Africa’s GBC has been accepted as a full member of the World Green Building Council (WGBC), a global non-profit organisation working to transform the global property industry towards sustainability. It works through its members, country GBC’s such as the GBCSA, who are tasked with leading the movement towards environmentally responsible building practices in their respective countries.

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A ‘credit’-worthy performance In order to achieve a rating, projects need to earn credits in the nine Green Star SA environmental categories, comprising: Management, Indoor Environmental Quality, Energy, Water, Transport, Materials, Emissions, Land Use & Ecology and Innovation. What scored the points? The most outstanding green factors that contributed to Nedbank Phase II’s 4-star achievement include: • Fresh air and efficient air conditioning “Mechanical systems are one of the largest potential users of energy, and resultantly, present great opportunity for improvement,” comments Smith. At Nedbank, a full economy cycle air conditioning system flushes fresh air through the building when conditions are favourable. In addition, several zoned carbon dioxide sensors on each floor monitor levels and adjust the flow of fresh air. The air conditioning system circulates cool ambient air through the building in the morning, helping to considerably reduce the energy load on the air conditioners in summer. “Very high efficiency water cooled centrifugal chillers were used, alongside an ingenious heat recovery system to minimise the cost of heating and cooling the building,” comments Smith. “The central atrium’s heat is recovered using a dual-application shaft which doubles as a smoke extractor. In winter, warm air that rises in the atrium is circulated to lower levels to lessen the need for inefficient heaters. What’s more, the chillers employ zero-ozone depleting refrigerants, making for a thoroughly efficient HVAC system,” he explains. “Although the building is automated to ensure optimal operation, the building will be even further ‘fine-tuned’ after a year of operation,” explains Smith.

eNE R GY E FFICIEN CY

Aurecon also provided advanced modelling of the ventilation system to ensure the right quality of air is delivered to 95% of the usable area. Double glazing ensures a minimal loss of energy, and the building’s high ventilation rates are 100% greater than those required by SANS 1040, far exceeding minimal levels. • Water recycling One of the biggest point scorers on the Green Star Rating was Phase II’s black water treatment system. This sees water used in the building being partially recycled in a plant in the basement of the building and re-used for all nonpotable water uses, such as for the toilets, cooling towers and to irrigate the indigenous campus garden. This innovation will save up to 120kL of water per day and will significantly reduce the amount of water the buildings discharges to the municipal sewer system. Both water and airflow within the building are controlled by variable speed drives which ensure delivery in only the required amounts to save energy. • Energy efficient lighting Energy-efficient lighting system monitors, dims and switches off lights in all unoccupied office sectors. Energy efficient lighting is used throughout the building, while 60% of offices have a direct line of sight to the outdoors or to a natural light atrium. • Waste A dedicated system and storage area provides for the collection and separation of paper, glass, plastics, metals and organic materials which complements the waste management practices implemented in Phase I.

The case for green Robinson confirms that there’s a ‘real trend towards green building’ in Australia, but that South Africa isn’t far behind. “The tangible benefits of going green are innumerable – and this is a facet of construction South African project owners have caught on to quickly. Higher tenant demand, lower vacancies and lower energy and water costs have meant many developers are taking a long-term view of their investment.” He believes that the rating tool, in combination with Aurecon’s holistic approach to building design, is an ‘incredible enabler’ if we strive to uphold what it intends to achieve: the integration of sustainable development, civil and mechanical engineering, building planning and better design to produce better building. “People who think holistically about design strive for pragmatic, definable outcomes. Our vision is to create a new brand of construction which draws on expertise and partnerships to demonstrate that we can deliver a superior, integrated end product.” Aurecon is a global group providing a broad range of multidisciplinary professional technical services on large-scale integrated infrastructure projects across diverse industry sectors. Aurecon Martin Smith Tel: +27 12 427 2625 Fax: +27 86 603 1244

• Material usage The building is predominantly framed in reinforced concrete, of which 95% of the reinforcing steel used is recycled. In addition, the concrete used has a minimum fly ash content of 30%. • Cycle park Phase II of the building will offer a cycle park with lockers and shower facilities for Nedbank staff members who cycle to work to make use of the Sandton Gautrain node, which is a convenient 500 metres from the campus. This facility will encourage staff members to change their travel patterns and resultantly reduce their carbon footprint.

Pictures courtesy of GLH & Associates Architects

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e NERGY EFF I C I ENCY

25 o in A f rica

eNE R GY E FFICIEN CY

Green trucking options

for fleet operators

in South Africa

lthough South Africa isn’t one of the leading countries as far as vehicle exhaust emissions standards are concerned, there is growing commitment among local corporations and the truck fleets that service them to promote environmental protection. Since the beginning of 2010, South Africa has been subscribing to the Euro 2 standard and, according to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, looks set to enforce Euro 4 vehicle emissions standards in 2014 (leapfrogging Euro 3). Nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM or soot) and carbon monoxide (CO), are the primary gasses targeted by the Euro 3 standard. Research has shown that these emissions are carcinogenic, cause respiratory problems as well as acid rain. According to Christo Kleynhans, Product Manager, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Mercedes-Benz South Africa, some companies are already contributing to minimising harmful emissions. “We may be behind the developed world in terms of emissions regulation but that shouldn’t stop fleet operators from moving towards more eco-friendly trucking. The new Actros, Axor and Atego ranges are equipped standard with Euro 3 engines, allowing for less harmful emissions levels in built up areas where short-haul distribution fleets are active,” says Kleynhans.

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Fleet operators are increasingly being pressured to adopt eco-saving strategies, with major retailers placing contractual obligations on their suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint. “The engines in the new Actros, Axor and Atego models offer more power at lower engine speeds than the previous Euro 2 powerplants, which increases engine life. The torque bands are broader which improves performance, effectively enhancing efficiencies in turnaround times and fuel consumption. The injector nozzles have fewer holes to increase combustion pressure which ensures a cleaner burn in the chamber and therefore, fewer harmful tailpipe emissions,” explains Kleynhans. The Actros, Axor and Atego Euro 3 derivatives are available at no extra cost, offering transporters a budget-friendly avenue to gearing up for Euro 4 legislation and cultivating an eco-conscious infrastructure. “The world has become a single market place and those operators who embrace the prevailing technologies and business principles will be the successful ones,” said Kleynhans. Mercedes-Benz South Africa Tel: +27 12 677 1904 Fax: +27 12 677 1714 E-mail: shirle.greig@daimler.com Website: www.mercedes-benzsa.co.za

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eNE R GY E FFICIEN CY

A greener supply with M

ercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles, high-profile logistics operator Imperial Logistics and Fast ‘n Fresh, a member of the Imperial Logistics Group that manages the logistics for Woolworths have a shared vision of greater environmental sustainability in the retail sector. The vision is one of building an increasingly sustainable ‘eco chain’, from the vehicle supplier to the logistics company, the retailer and finally to the consumer.

According to Kobus van Zyl, Vice President of Commercial Vehicles Mercedes-Benz South Africa, the availability of low sulphur diesel is the reason behind South Africa’s delayed implementation of Euro 4 and Euro 5 technology. “In South Africa, Mercedes-Benz trucks are currently available with Euro 3 as standard. Driver training to minimise fuel consumption

The first step in this ‘eco chain’ concept involves a pilot project of five new Mercedes-Benz Euro 5 trucks which will reduce emissions and the carbon footprint on the way to a cleaner and greener future. “The transportation sector plays a key role in today’s globalised world. In order to avoid more strain on the environment, emissions must be further reduced and commercial vehicles must become even more efficient. Commercial vehicles built by Mercedes-Benz are already showing that economy and ecology no longer need be mutually exclusive,” explains Dr Hansgeorg Niefer, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa.

“As the carbon footprint is directly related to fuel consumption, MercedesBenz has committed itself to support its customers through driver training and other measures to minimise fuel consumption and thus reducing CO2 emissions. The Mercedes-Benz holistic approach combines with the customer’s strategic focus of fuel reduction targets, with a structured process of training driver trainers, training drivers and using technology such as FleetBoard to monitor the progress and driver efficiency improvements in the process,” says Van Zyl.

Daimler is the first commercial vehicle manufacturer whose entire truck product range is already available with Euro 4 and Euro 5 technology. Daimler’s goal is to see the reduction of the fuel consumption of their trucks in Europe by an average of 20% per ton-kilometer by 2020, based |on 2009 figures.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa Tel: +27 12 677 1904 Fax: +27 12 677 1714 E-mail: shirle.greig@daimler.com Website: www.mercedes-benzsa.co.za

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e NERGY EFF I C I ENCY

Insulation material used for set construction

eopor®, the expandable polystyrene (EPS) from BASF, is being used to produce surface facings for decorative structures on film and television sets. Artrockz, a film set designer in Germany, is using these facings and panels to replicate models of bricks and quarry stones for set construction. Neopor® has a fine-pored surface that can easily be reworked or painted with wall paint and Artrockz is using special self-developed moulds to create panels with a natural stone look. The material can be attached to substructures with a commercial dispersion adhesive and it’s also easy to cut, making it an ideal solution for film sets that need to be constructed quickly and solidly. Trade shows and shop-fitting The decoration products can also be used in shop-fitting and trade fair construction, as stage structures in theatres or at concerts. Besides being able to realistically replicate walls, roofs and floors, these panels are usually used as decorative interior insulation in private residential buildings. So far, Neopor® has been used primarily to insulate the facades of old and new buildings. Neopor® is manufactured as small black beads of expandable polystyrene (EPS). The insulation materials made from Neopor® are silver-grey because it contains graphite which increases the insulating performance by up to 20%. The company Gerriets, which specialises in theatre and stage production equipment, sells the panels internationally under the name “The Wall”.

Above: The film set designer Artrockz, Germany uses Neopor®, the expandable polystyrene (EPS) from BASF, to produce surface facings for decorative structures. The facings are used in film and television sets, e.g. the German movie “Buddenbrooks” (2008): wall and gate on the photo consist of the foamed replica models of bricks stones. The imitation masonry is noted for its natural-looking, detailed structures with fine-pored surfaces. Photo: Uwe Stanik

BASF Holdings South Africa (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 11 203 2422 Fax: +27 11 203 2430 E-mail: petra.bezuidenhout@basf.com Website: www.basf.co.za

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CDM

Water related issues –

understanding business risks

Towards the end of last year, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) launched the CDP Water Disclosure, a new programme that will help institutional investors better understand the business risks and opportunities associated with water scarcity and other water-related issues, by increasing the availability of high quality business information on this critical issue.

owerful international financial institutions, such as NBIM, Schroders, APG Asset Management and Dexia Asset Management are supporting the new programme because water already impacts companies’ operations and will become an increasingly important investment issue.

supply chains, in order to make better informed decisions and direct the flow of capital away from risks and towards solutions. CDP Water Disclosure will be essential to providing investors with this information.” Companies to measure and disclose water usage

CDP, an independent not-profit organisation, has gathered primary corporate climate change information from thousands of businesses from around the world so that it can be incorporated into business and policy decision making. CDP Water Disclosure will be using the same established system in order to tackle the increasingly vital issue of water scarcity.

CDP Water Disclosure will be sending a questionnaire on behalf of institutional investors to approximately 300 of the world’s largest corporations in water intensive sectors including chemicals, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG’s), food and beverage, mining, paper and forest products, pharmaceuticals, power generation and semiconductor “If climate change manufacturing. Several South African companies have indicated, via the National Business Initiative, that they is the shark, would be interested in participating in next year’s survey.

Chief Executive Officer of CDP, Paul Dickinson, says that more awareness and understanding of water availability is needed. “Much of the impact of climate change will be felt through changing patterns of water availability, with then water shrinking glaciers and changing patterns of precipitation increasing the likelihood of drought and flood,” says Dickinson. “If climate change is the shark, then water is its teeth and it is an issue on which businesses need far greater levels of awareness and understanding. CDP Water Disclosure will raise this awareness and drive companies to take action to mitigate risks and seize opportunities.” A system to report use and change of water Less than 1% of the world’s water is easily accessible fresh water and factors such as climate change, urbanisation, pollution damage and our increasing population are going to put even more pressure on water resources. The United Nations (UN) predicts that by 2030 almost half of the world population will live in areas facing water stress or water scarcity. CDP Water Disclosure will provide a system for businesses to report their use of water as well as their exposure to changing patterns of water availability. This system will become a vital tool for investors and businesses to be able to evaluate companies’ ability to operate successfully in a water-constrained world. According to Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), lead sponsor of CDP Water Disclosure, CDP Water Disclosure will provide investors with high quality information about water use and availability. “As water becomes an increasingly constrained resource, it also becomes an investment issue. It’s vital that institutional investors have access to high quality information on how water-related risks threaten corporations, both directly and within their

25 o i n Africa

is its teeth”

The questionnaire will ask companies to measure and disclose information on water usage, the risks and opportunities in their own operations and their supply chains as well as water management and improvement plans. The results of the questionnaire will be made available to endorsing investors and summarised in an annual report, the first of which will be produced in the last quarter of 2010. Marc Fox, Vice President of GS SUSTAIN Research at Goldman, Sachs & Co, believes that increased disclosure is an important part of assessing how effective a company’s response is to water challenges. “CDP Water Disclosure is an important new initiative as water issues are increasingly impacting companies’ ability to uphold competitive advantage in many global industries. GS SUSTAIN Research currently incorporates water efficiency within its methodology and views increased disclosure of performance to be a critical step in assessing the effectiveness of companies’ responses to the water challenges they face.” Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the UK Government’s Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), concludes that the CDP project is an important and much needed initiative. “I welcome the Carbon Disclosure Project’s initiative to raise awareness of the importance of water and the opportunities there are to improve water management. I am sure that as with carbon disclosure this will help us to understand water usage and as a consequence value this precious resource.” To find out more please visit www.cdproject.net/water-disclosure, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

C DM

The 2009 National Business Initiative (NBI) Annual Report Back to members and stakeholders was held on the 10th of November 2009. The NBI delivered in-depth insights into the role of businesses in achieving a sustainable future.

illian Hutchings, NBI Director, presented a detailed report back on the achievements during the last year to the 300 delegates in attendance. A distinguished panel, which comprised Cas Coovadia, NBI Chairman and Managing Director of The Banking Association of South Africa, Brian Bruce, Group Chief Executive of Murray & Roberts Limited and Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita, Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal South Africa, discussed ‘The role and responsibility of corporations over the next decade and beyond’, an event that proved to be a resounding success. Awards and achievements Hutchings noted two particular NBI achievements during 2009 – the organisation’s win in the 2009 Mail and Guardian, Greening the Future Awards, Carbon and Energy Management category, as well as the NBI’s solid financial performance during very tough economic circumstances. During her review of the NBI highlights, Hutchings posed an interesting question: Globally, business is doing business with 10% of the world’s population. What about the risks and opportunities of excluding the 90% from the mainstream economy? Hutchings concluded her address with a compelling quote from the September 2009 Harvard Business Review: “There is no alternative to sustainable development . . . sustainability is now the key driver for innovation. In the future, only companies that make sustainability a goal will achieve competitive advantage.” The role and responsibility of corporations André Fourie, NBI Chief Executive, facilitated the forum and opened by saying that it has become less important how corporations spend after tax profits and important how it is earned over the last decade. Fourie emphasised that the business sector, both globally and in South Africa, needs to work hard to earn the trust of government and society.

Coovadia leveraged the global financial crisis as the starting point of his address and he cited a solution to collaboration between the private and public financial sectors. This issue has been on the banking sector agenda for ten years, and due to the financial crisis a solution has been derived in just two months – to deliver credit to those in need thereof.

“The crisis has created the opportunity for us to work together,” said Coovadia. He called for developing countries to come together to interrogate and react to issues of sustainability. “ As Africans, we need to begin to inform the sustainability debate,” said Coovadia. Bruce delivered philosophical questioning around tough sustainability-related issues and practical perspectives relating to the construction sector. “When we discuss sustainability, are we not entering a new debate about Armageddon? Are we facing a future where humanity is the enabler of the environment?” asked Bruce. “We know that we must seek to conserve rather than consume. Preserve rather than protect. These are important challenges we face.” Bruce believes that public-private partnerships are essential and that “deep down we know we are in this together”. Bruce highlighted that the engineering fraternity has got to think differently about sustainability. “We can now talk not only of the context of materials. There is much more to sustainability.” Specific sectoral issues that need to be considered include urbanisation and human migration; the force of globalisation and democratisation; power and the related energy deficit that exists in the world; water; minerals and metals; labour intensity, energy efficiency buildings; recycling of materials and micro-dispersed systems. Nyembezi-Heita from ArcelorMittal took a practical view on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and she emphasised the importance of integration of CSR into daily operations and decision-making. She also strongly emphasised the need for corporates to set measurable targets within CSR plans, though she provided a reality check in this regard saying, “It’s also true in South Africa that we have tendency to over reach in some respects. Air quality targets, for example are a big challenge for us . . . We need to be modest in our ambition – there is no sustainability without financial sustainability.” The 2009 NBI Annual Report was tabled at the meeting and demonstrates the tangible impact of the NBI in mobilising business leadership as a catalyst for a sustainable future in South Africa. For more information, visit www.nbi.org.za, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given. 2 5 o in A f rica

INSTANT UPDAT E

EU launches knowledge-sharing network about CCS

elegates from 22 carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in 13 European countries gathered for a preparatory meeting for a new knowledge-sharing network that was launched by the European Commission on the 6th of December 2009. The network sets out to shorten the time frame between policy making to the industry implementation of CCS technology and it will be coordinated by DNV (one of the founding members of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute). First-movers in the industry will be provided with a means of coordination, information and experience sharing through these meetings. They will also be focused on best practices and the network will be working closely with international and national initiatives. The meeting was held at the DNV headquarters and DNV’s role is to assist the European Commission in establishing and facilitating the gathering and sharing of information about the long-term value chain for CO2.

Promising opportunities for waste management in Nigeria

abatunde Fashola, governor of Lagos State, told private sector participants that there are significant opportunities in the waste management change, such as recycling and power generation. At this meeting, which was held on the 22nd of December 2009, Fashola said that the aspiration of all in the business should be how to expand to take full advantage of the immense possibilities like generating power from biogradable waste in the foreseeable future. Fashola urged wealthy Nigerians to help build the Nigerian economy and contribute their quota to the actualisation of the desired goals in waste generation and treatment by repatriating funds stashed abroad back home. He also explained that the problem of the importation of old and time-worn weary compactor trucks would be solved if Nigerians can pull resources and own new trucks. Nigerians need to kick-start the processes of owning manufacturing outfits and businesses which could solve some of the major problems that come with waste management, said Fashola. He encouraged waste operators to remain confident that the business would grow and urged them to see the possibilities in turning waste to power as many countries worldwide have done. Information courtesy of www.tradeinvestnigeria.com, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

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South Africa’s pumps market is steadily growing

ew analysis from Frost & Sullivan, the growth partnership company, shows that the South African pumps market is steadily growing. Centrifugal pumps, positive displacement pumps and pump parts are the product segments covered in the study that shows that this market segment earned revenues of $175,4-million in 2008. Frost & Sullivan also expects this market to reach $323,6-million in 2015. “Massive capital investment projects within the utilities, chemicals and petrochemicals and water and wastewater end-user industries are expected to contribute to a higher demand for industrial pump products over the long-term,” says Frost & Sullivan industrial analyst James Fungai Maposa. “Eskom’s Medupi and Kusile Power Stations, as well as PetroSA and Sasol’s planned expansion activities are some of the projects poised to support steady market expansion.” Eskom’s expansion plans, the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the growth of the mining sector have all contributed to the blossoming of the industrial pumps market in South Africa. Although the mining industry has slowed down due to the global recession, it is still expected to contribute to the demand of slurry pumps and mine dewatering works because mines need to be kept dry whether they are operational or not. Pump prices rise along with raw material costs Global increases in metal prices since 2003 have had a negative impact on the pricing of finished pump products and the South African industrial pumps market is susceptible to increases in raw material costs. “The escalation of raw material costs due to scarcity and the rising costs of extraction and processing have resulted in tremendous sales pressure on manufacturers and dealers,” says Maposa. “Raw material costs have increased due to availability constraints, with lower amounts of the raw material being supplied due to most mining entities focusing their attention on precious minerals, which have higher returns on investment.” Research and development leads to better pumps While the constraints of raw material shortages have a negative impact on market growth, pump products continue to attract end-user attention and sustain end-user demand due to the evolution of pump technologies. Suppliers are continuing to develop their products. “Through sizeable investments in research and development, most manufacturers’ newer pump series are reported to be stronger, lighter, using fewer parts as well as having a smaller space footprint than previous models,” explains Maposa. “Confidence in the new product series is high, such that some of the market participants have extended product warranty life cycles to five years instead of the usual three.” Frost & Sullivan Tel: +27 21 680 3261 Fax: +27 21 680 3296 Website: www.frost.com

I NS TA NT UP D ATE

Tyre company’s non-recyclable waste

down by

85%

n January 2010, Goodyear’s on-site waste management supplier (the Impala Group of Companies) achieved ISO 14001 accreditation – the highest global standard for environmental management systems – putting the tyre company at the forefront of earth-friendly waste management. In a joint venture with Goodyear, the Impala Group of Companies is now passing on key skills to other waste-focused vendors through on-site training at the Uitenhage tyre plant. Since taking over Goodyear’s waste management two years ago, Khangela Hygiene and Industrial Services and The Waste Trade Company – two companies in the Impala Group – have reduced Goodyear’s non-recyclable waste by 85%. This significant reduction was achieved by various waste management systems that were implemented such as colour-coded bins to promote recycling throughout the plant, a vegetable garden and an on-site aviary to ensure that even breadcrumbs from the canteen don’t go to waste

“Goodyear is a zero-waste-to-landfill facility. Our philosophy is to segregate, re-use and recycle to ensure we do not have an impact on our environment. Non-recyclable waste is thermally destructed, and the ash is used in brick making. We make sure that our waste contractors and their sub-contractors apply the same philosophy,” says Goodyear Risk Control Manager Rene van der Merwe. Howard Bulkin, The Waste Trade Company’s Manager of Green Projects, said: “The ISO 14001 accreditation positions Goodyear well in terms of the new

Admiring Goodyear’s thriving vegetable garden are (from left) Alison Jacobs (Pub lic Relations Officer, Khangela Hygiene and Industria l Services), Rene van der Merwe (Risk Con trol Manager, Goodyear), Howard Bulkin (Green Project s Manager, The Waste Trade Company) and Louis Rossouw (Special Projects Manager, The Waste Trade Company). The ‘pots’ in which the vegetab les grow are made from old tyres, while lefto ver canteen food is used as compost.

Waste Act, which requires companies to declare what waste is generated, where it is taken and what people are doing with it. The whole stream of waste and the various handlers are audited to ensure compliance with the Waste Act”. Bulkin believes that compulsory ISO 14001 compliance is likely in the near future. “As our non-renewable resources diminish and pollution increases, we have to change the way we live – our habits and our lifestyles have to change. People mustn’t underestimate the impact that their single act can have. With a company like Goodyear promoting a culture of recycling throughout the factory, it has the means to affect a lot of people in the community,” says Bulkin. Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Holdings (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 41 505 5400 Fax: +27 86 614 0368 E-mail: lize_hayward@goodyear.co.za Website: www.goodyear.co.za

Name change for Elastogran companies in Europe

lastogran companies are changing their names after the BASF corporate brand for European polyurethane sites have been introduced. This system has already been introduced on a global scale and the renaming will not affect existing agreements such as employment contracts or customer contracts. Elastogran GmbH with its head offices in Lemförde, for instance, is now known as BASF Polyurethanes GmbH. The Elastogran name will still be used in the BASF brand “PU Solutions Elastogran” which was recently launched throughout Europe. “The name change is an important indicator of BASF’s commitment to its European PU business and helps strengthen the BASF brand

overall,” said Jacques Delmoitiez, President BASF Polyurethanes. The name change process in about a dozen European countries kicked off in January 2010 and is expected to be completed by the middle of the year. These name changes are not yet applicable to the South African market. BASF Holdings South Africa (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 11 203 2422 Fax: +27 11 203 2430 E-mail: petra.bezuidenhout@basf.com Website: www.basf.co.za

2 5 o in A f rica

INSTANT UPDAT E

Local distributor thanked for role in Zambian project at COP15 Above: The keys of the Land Cruisers are handed over to Shayne Fuller of the Climate Change Programme in Zambia, a project initiated by the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF).

oyota South Africa was recognised for its role in the Climate Change Programme in Zambia, known as the Carbon Project, at United Nations Climate Change Conference in Denmark last year.The Carbon Project was initiated by the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) and its main aim is to research ways to facilitate payment for carbon emission reductions generated through additional sequestration, avoided deforestation and fire management initiatives within trans-frontier conservation areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Two diesel Land Cruisers were supplied by Toyota SA for the PPF to conduct initial research for this programme in Zambia. It took almost a year to complete the extensive biomass survey and community workshops, after which the laborious processing of collected data commenced. Most comprehensive data set of this nature Initial indications show that the data collected will prove to be of very high

quantity and quality and will be the most comprehensive data set of this nature for the project area. A three dimensional image survey of the above ground vegetation of the KAZA Zambia project area was also completed by Southern Mapping and this technology may in future be applied as a biomass monitoring tool. The Climate Change Programme is headed by Dr. Michiel Smit and has five full-time members – Shayne Fuller, in charge of operations, ecologist Leon-Jacques Theron, Dr. Khosi Ramachela, community project developer, Dr. Catherine Traynor, scenario analyst, and Lizél Kleingbiel, administrative assistant. The PPF secured observer status to COP15, which enabled the Climate Change team to table a United Nations Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation (UN REDD) paper on its work in Zambia. Toyota South Africa was specifically recognised for its support for this venture. “Thanks to Toyota and the Land Cruisers we have been able to conclude the initial part of our project in time to compile a report for the UN Climate Change Conference,” said Shayne Fuller. Toyota South Africa Tel: +27 11 809 2232 E-mail: smoonsamy2@tsb.toyota.co.za Website: www.toyota.co.za

Solar energy in Kenya – invest in the growing market

Investors interested in this opportunity should contact the Kenya Investment Authority at info@investmentkenya.com.

Over the years, the solar energy market has been providing electricity to homes and institutions remote from the national grid and now foreign and local investors have the opportunity to participate in this industry.

Information courtesy of www.tradeinvestkenya.com, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

orthern Kenya and other arid areas have strong reliable sunshine throughout the year, making it the ideal destination for a growing solar energy market.

Government programmes boosts demand for PV panels In 2005, a government programme was started to provide basic electricity to boarding schools and health facilities in remote areas. This programme has increased the annual demand for PV panels by 100 kilowatt peak (kWp). During the same year, a preliminary survey established that the annual market for photo voltaic (PV) panels was 500 kWp and this was projected to grow at 15% annually. There is also the wider market provided by the other member states of the East African Community and COMESA. It’s estimated that the initial market demand for PV systems is one megawatt peak and this presents a great opportunity to investors involved in the manufacturing of PV panels as well as manufacturers of PV panel components and accessories, such as charge controllers, inverters and PV batteries.

25 o i n Africa

I NS TA NT UP D ATE

The Value of Energy 2009 was characterised by global financial uncertainty, huge shifts in climate perspectives and an increasing amount of focus on the South African energy situation. Brian A Statham, Chairman of SANEA (South African National Energy Association), gives his perspective on what will fuel the value of energy debate in upcoming months. “As we launch into 2010 we are all going to face the spectra of increasing energy prices. The global economic meltdown seems to have flattened out and business is eagerly anticipating the start of a recovery cycle. Inevitably, recovery will lead to an increase in the demand for energy. This increased demand is being exacerbated by the exceptionally cold winter in the northern Hemisphere, where the weather has also had a negative impact on the delivery of energy. We can already see the steady rise in the price of oil on the international markets and this is likely to continue for some months. All eyes on electricity prices In South Africa, all attention is focused on the public hearings of Eskom’s application for a 35% increase in the electricity tariff every year for the next three years. Not surprisingly, this has led to an outcry from all South

Africans because, if granted, it will have a significant impact on our budgets and viability. However, we have to weigh this up against the cost of not having sufficient electricity. During the rationing of 2008 and 2009 analysts were publishing some very large numbers as being the economic and social cost of insufficient electricity. Compromises needed There is no easy path forward. However it should be clear that part of the future has to be a focus on the effectiveness and efficiency of our energy usage. Volume of product versus quantity of input energy should be a key performance indicator in every enterprise. If it isn’t, you should ask yourself whether you are really concerned about our energy future. SANEA SECRETARIAT Tel: +27 31 368 8000 Fax: +27 31 368 6623 E-mail: sanea@turnergroup.co.za Website: www.sanea.org.za

SRK Consulting SA appoints new chairperson

RK Consulting SA, consulting engineers and scientists to the natural resource industries, has appointed Roger Dixon as its new chairperson.

Roger Dixon has been appointed as the new chairperson at SRK Consulting SA.

Dixon has 37 years experience in the mining engineering field and he joined SRK Consulting as principal mining engineer in 2004.

Dixon started work at Anglo American Gold and Uranium Division and after 17 years with the company, moved to Anglovaal, Avgold Limited, Metorex Limited and Turgis Consulting. He has been involved with various projects relating to engineering studies, mineral reserve estimation, and due diligence studies on open pit and underground operations in the platinum, gold and

copper sectors. He has worked on projects in many countries including South Africa, DRC, and Zambia. Representing the Chamber of Mines, Dixon was a founder member of the Safety in Mines Research advisory committee (SIMRAC) and he participated in the formulation of the Mine Health and Safety Act of 1996. He was also involved in the original publication in 2000 of the South African Code for reporting mineral resources and mineral reserves (The SAMREC Code), and the publication of the South African Code for the reporting of mineral asset valuation (SAMVAL Code) in 2008. Dixon has been the chairperson of the South African Mineral Resource Committee (SAMREC) since its inception in 1996. He is currently the chairperson of The Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO) which consists of representatives from the major mining countries around the world.

2 5 o in A f rica

INSTANT UPDAT E

Solar LED floodlighting system donated to Refilwe Project in JHB

dedicated solar powered LED floodlighting system has been donated to the Refilwe community project by Phillips and the Dutch Legends football team. The people from the Refilwe community project, which is situated near Johannesburg, will be able to play and watch football after dark for the first time. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the community, for the soccer players and spectators says Refilwe community project leader, Annatjie Cilliers. “And it can be used for other night events as well like gatherings, picnics and weddings. It opens up opportunities in the community.”

Above: The new solar LED lighting system is installed for the people at the Refilwe community project. Right: Players from the Dutch Legends team square off against a team from the Refilwe community project to officially open the new solar LED lighting system.

Jeroen Janssen, Philips Lighting’s CEO in Southern Africa, says that Phillips’ launch of a new generation of solar LED solutions has the ability to transform the lives of many communities throughout the developing world. “The development of solar powered LED floodlighting means a potential

technology leap for Africa,” says Janssen. “I am extremely proud by this application of our expertise in LED lighting and sports lighting in particular, and our ability to bring the fun and enjoyment of sports to communities where a lack of electricity limits participation.” The Dutch Legends, which is coached by Ruud Gullit, includes former Dutch Internationals such as Aron Winter, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Ronald de Boer and Arthur Numan. The Dutch Legends team played a team of local youngsters at the Refilwe community project to officially open the new solar lighting system on the 30th of November. Aron Winter believes that this project will make a huge difference to the quality of people’s lives and bring communities together right across Africa. “We are delighted to be involved in this groundbreaking initiative” says Winter. For more information, visit www.philips.com/ offgridlighting, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

Thermal insulation standard SANS 1281-4 amended

n important new edition of SANS 1381-4 has recently been published and it is believed this amendment, Materials for thermal insulation of buildings Part 4: Reflective foil laminates (rolls, sheets and sections), play an important role in how buildings are designed. Des Schnetler from SABS TC 1021, expanded (cellular) plastics and thermal insulation, believes that this edition of the reflective foil standard is long overdue. “The much needed and very overdue amendment of the reflective foil standard SANS 1381, Part 4: Reflective foil laminates (Rolls, sheets and sections) has been published by the SABS. Major changes from the previous publication in 1985 are the fire performance and resistance to accelerated aging of reflective foil laminates,” says Schnetler. “With the introduction of energy efficiency standards imminent by legislation to intervene and reduce peak electricity demand usage, thermal insulation and standards for thermal insulation, like this one, will play an integral part in the future design of a building.”

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According to Schnetler, the previous standard prescribed the surface fire index classification of thermal insulation materials to be determined in accordance with SANS 10177, Part 3 Surface fire index of finishing materials. All reflective foil laminates will now have to be re-tested so as to comply with the requirements of SANS 428: Fire performance classification of thermal insulated building envelope systems. “Fire performance requirements for thermal insulation products can only be based on a fire test of the complete system for the respective use and application. In addition, the accelerated aging test will ensure products will last for 15 years as required by SANS 10400 The Application of the National Building Regulations,” explains Schnetler. The standard can be downloaded directly from the secure standards webstore www.sabs.co.za or purchased from Standard Sales at the SABS. SABS Tel: +27 12 428 6883 Fax: +27 12 428 6928 E-mail: sales@sabs.co.za Website: www.sabs.co.z

I NS TA NT UP D ATE

Eskom borrows €1 185-million

from French banks O

n Monday, 28 December 2009, Eskom announced that it had signed a loan agreement of 1 185-million Euros (approximately ZAR13-billion) covered by COFACE the French Export Credit Agency (ECA). This fixed interest rate loan will be used to fund part of the eligible foreign content of the Medupi and Kusile turbine contracts with Alstom S & E Africa (Pty) Ltd. The facility agreements were signed between Eskom and five French banks as lenders, namely BNP Paribas, Calyon, Societe Generale, Natixis and CIC. BNP Paribas acted as Documentation Bank, Facility Agent and ECA Agent. The loan is re-payable over 12 years after the commissioning of the relevant units of the Medupi and Kusile power stations. Earlier in December, the power utility announced that it had signed export credit agency loans amounting to 705-million Euros with three South African banks and four international banks. The loans are to help Eskom finance its power expansion programme, valued at ZAR385-billion.

Antarctic policy and research Prof Chown plays a significant role in the Antarctic policy arena as the representative of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) at the Antarctic Treaty’s Committee for Environmental Protection. He is also the Chief Officer of the SCAR Standing Committee on the Antarctic Treaty System.

Prof Steven Chown’s research provides a framework for managing the expanding human presence in the Antarctic

Stellenbosch Prof receives big international prize

professor from Stellenbosch University (SU), Prof Steven Chown, has been recognised for his outstanding work on the study of invasive alien species and the effects of climate change and human interactions in the region. Chown received the Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica, worth around ZAR750 000 ($100 000), at a gala function in Washington DC as part of the Antarctic Treaty Summit celebrating 50 years of the Treaty. The Martha T. Muse Prize (www.museprize.org) is awarded to individuals who show clear potential for sustained and significant contributions that enhance the understanding of Antarctic science or policy and promote Antarctica’s preservation for future generations. This prize is also supported by the Tinker Foundation and administered by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

Prof Chown, director of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology and professor in the SU Department of Botany and Zoology, was the first Chair of the Prince Edward Islands Management Committee which was charged with overseeing the environmental management of these sub-Antarctic islands. He was also the lead author of the revised management plans that were drawn up for the islands, which are proclaimed together as South Africa’s only special nature reserve. He has major research interests in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic biology and conservation. Prof Chown is recognised as a world leader in his field and his leadership in Antarctic conservation provides a framework for managing the expanding human presence in the Antarctic, an issue which will remain in the forefront of Antarctic science and policy. The scientific advances that Prof Chown has made have broad ranging implications for understanding evolutionary processes and have established a foundation for continuing research by scientists from many member nations in the Antarctic Treaty. Prof Chown will be awarded the Prize at the Oslo International Polar Year Conference in June and will also be a guest of honour at the SCAR Open Science conference in Buenos Aires in August. Stellenbosch University Department of Microbiology Prof Steven Chown Tel: +27 21 808 2385 E-mail: slchown@sun.ac.za Website: www.sun.ac.za 2 5 o in A f rica

INSTANT UPDAT E

Local car manufacturer reduces

carbon footprint by I

n 2006, Daimler AG set a target of a 20% reduction in its global carbon footprint resulting from CO2 emissions for all plants globally, to be reached progressively by 2012. Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) is proving its commitment to a greener environment and it’s already well ahead of the global group target. MBSA has reduced its carbon footprint by 15% since 2006, which translates to a reduction of 12 703 tons of CO2 emissions. “We are very proud of our achievement in respect of our reduction in CO2 emissions. Sustainable development is a driving force behind the way MBSA chooses to conduct its business and interact with the social and natural environment surrounding it,” says Dr Hansgeorg Niefer, CEO of MBSA. The East London manufacturing plant of MBSA achieved this significant target through the successful implementation of: • Installation of energy efficient lighting. In all production halls and warehouses (the 2 500 light fittings) the high-bay mercury vapour lighting (400W) has been replaced with T5 fluorescent tubes (200W) in conjunction with Eskom and Fort Hare University on a joint initiative. • Solar water heating. A total of 3 000 litres of geyser capacity has been converted to solar-heated systems in canteens and ablutions. • Re-use of pre-conditioned air and the optimisation of process temperature

• • •

15%

production. Start and stop times have been minimised to ensure no energy is wasted during non-production times and the optimum heating/cooling start-up time parameters have also been determined in order to eliminate energy that does not add value. Implementation of energy efficient equipment. New generation incinerator burners and new chiller plants, which are much more energy efficient and offer better performance, have been installed. Building management systems for lighting and ventilation are being used along with variable speed drives for HVAC systems. Optimisation of compressed air systems. Compressor loads are being centralised as opposed to decentralised, which is optimising the plant capacity and compressor utilisation to the extent that some compressors can be turned off entirely. Higher utilisation of key compressors has also reduced excess power consumption. Defining key cost drivers through active monitoring systems. Previously, Mercedes-Benz focused on lighting, hot water and HVAC in terms of its energy initiatives instead of focussing on production equipment, which was in fact the key cost driver.

New equipment and infrastructure planned for this phased project include the following: • Underground fuel supply installations. • Inert gas fire protection in flammable chemical stores. • Reduction of CFCs in all refrigeration installations. • Elimination of mercury vapour lighting altogether. • Ongoing monitoring of underground/surface water and air quality. • Reduction in water usage and waste water treatment. • Waste reduction, re-use and recycling programmes. Integrated approaches for successful initiatives All of these initiatives are planned against European environmental benchmark norms and they’ve been integrated into the company’s environmental management programme that complies with the ISO14001 standard. Initiatives such as these are supported by global scorecard reviews of environmental performance among all Daimler plants worldwide.

• •

parameters. 1,5-million m2 of conditioned air, of which a good portion is re-usable according to an independent health and safety consultant for air quality, is currently being moved per hour. This air is now being re-used and blended with a portion of fresh air, instead of 100% of fresh air being continuously air conditioned. Process windows are also being used to coincide with different weather patterns. In winter, the system runs on the lower portion of the windows and in summer it will run on the higher side of the temperature and humidity windows. Insulation improvements. All sources releasing energy have been re-insulated in order to save potential losses (an example of the changes is 10 inch chilled water lines and paint ovens). Optimising plant operating and shutdown times. Plants that used to run 24/7 have now been optimised so that they switch off after 25 o i n Africa

“Ours is an integrated approach, as we hold in equal regard all our stakeholders – our employees, our shareholders, our communities and our environment,” says Niefer. “In the past year we have had many successes and achieved critical milestones in striving to fulfil our environmental vision. However, we were not unaffected by the economic meltdown experienced globally, and consequently we also experienced our fair share of challenges. Yet, through the continued hard work and dedication of our employees, we have been able to meet the majority of our sustainability targets.” The company has been recognised for its efforts, especially in the East London area, where it was awarded the Daily Dispatch Environmental Excellence Award in recognition for the efforts in Environmental Management in 2008. For more information, visit www.mercedes-benzsa.co.za, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

I NS TA NT UP D ATE

NNPC partners with private investors on Lagos Greenfield refinery

he proposed Lagos Greenfield refinery, which is reported to be built in the Oil and Gas Area of the Lekki Free Trade Zone (FTZ) outside Lagos, has secured the support of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Thermal and acoustic information website launched

The proposed refinery would be the first to be built in Nigeria in 20 years, according to Group managing director of the NNPC, Dr Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo. ONGC Mittal Energy (OMEL) and Oando are prospective investors in the refinery, amongst other oil firms.

sover, leaders in thermal and acoustic insulation, have launched their new website so that designing buildings for the future are available to all at the click of a mouse. Some of the topics featured on the site include sustainable buildings, thermals, acoustics, information about insulation from a local and global perspective, and information on Isover’s commitment to the environment and sustainability.

Barkindo also said that the NNPC will support the Lekki FTZ by assisting with the arrangements for the supply of natural gas feedstock to the zone for the manufacturing of petrochemicals, fertiliser and other industrial products. The Daily Champion reports that the refinery is expected to be completed by 2017.

The website, www.isover.co.za, also provides detailed product information, specifications, construction details and installation instructions which can be downloaded as PDFs. By making use of Saint-Gobain’s innovative materials you will ensure a comfortable environment and also be safe in the knowledge that you have designed an energy-efficient building that will save electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Information courtesy of www.tradeinvestnigeria.com, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

Isover Tel: +27 11 360 8200 Website: www.isover.co.za

Three senior appointments at Eskom

he Board of Eskom Holdings Limited announced three new senior appointments on the 18th of November 2009. Paul O’Flaherty will be Eskom’s new Finance Director effective from 1 January 2010, Dan Marokane has been appointed as Managing Director (Primary Energy) effective 12 January 2010 and Bhabhalazi Bulunga is the new Managing Director (Human Resources), effective 1 February 2010. “The Board and Executive Committee extends a warm welcome to these new colleagues as they join the leadership of Eskom at an opportune time as we execute the company’s capacity expansion plans to address the country’s electricity supply needs for the future. The Board would like to thank Mr Izak du Plessis, Mr Vule Nemukula and Ms Elsie Pule for their diligence and hard work in their acting capacity as Finance Director and Managing Directors for Primary Energy and Human Resources respectively,” says Mpho Makwana, Acting Chairman, Eskom Holdings Limited Board. About the new Finance Director During the beginning of his career, Paul O’Flaherty spent 14 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers (formerly Coopers and Lybrand) in various capacities and ultimately serving as South African Head of Mining and Energy Audit Group. O’Flaherty is currently Chief Financial Officer at Al Naboodah Construction Group LLC in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He joined Al Naboodah in July 2007 from the Johannesburg-based construction company

Group five where he spent a total of 5 years in a similar position and later as its deputy CEO. About the new Managing Director of Primary Energy Dan Marokane has been with PetroSA for 11 years and he has been Vice-President of the Operations Division since March 2007. Marokane is a Director of PetroSA Nigeria, PetroSA Europe and Brass Exploration, Nigeria. He is responsible for providing strategic leadership to the Gas-to-Liquids Refinery (GTL&R) in Mosselbay and the three Exploration and Production offshore units, namely the F-A gas platform, and the Orca and Glas Dowr oil production vessels. About the new Managing Director of Human Resources Bhabhalazi Bulunga has been the General Manager of Human Resources at South African Airways (SAA) since March 2007. Prior to SAA he was employed by BHP Billiton Ltd in the position of Manager, Human Resources, Mozal, Maputo, Mozambique and in October 2005 Bulunga was transferred to Richards Bay and appointed Manager, Human Resources for the Hillside and Bayside Smelters. For more information, visit www.eskom.co.za, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given. 2 5 o in A f rica

‘10 EE NE NE R R GY GY EE VV EE NTS NTS

February 2010

Global warming, oil running out, catastrophe looms?

Certified Energy Manager Course (CEM)

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 9 February 2010

Contact: Dave Collins

Contact:Christina den Heijer

Tel:+27 83 659 1712

Cell: +27 82 334 0923

E-mail: dave.collins2@gmail.com

Tel/Fax: +27 18 294 7174

Date: 22 – 26 February 2010

E-mail: cemanager1@intekom.co.za 11th Southern Africa Energy Week Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 8 – 10 February 2010

Website: www.petro21.com

Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP) Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 24 – 26 February 2010

Contact: Christina den Heijer NEPAD ICT Africa Summit 2010 Location: Cape Town South Africa

Cell: +27 82 334 0923 Date: 9 – 11 February 2010

Contact: Brian NEMBAWARE

Tel/Fax: +27 18 294 7174 E-mail: cemanager1@intekom.co.za

Tel: +27 21 802 1191 E-mail: brain@ikapamedia.co.za

ENERGY2010

Website: www.ictafricasummit.co.za

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 24 – 26 February 2010

Contact: Siyenza Management Tel: +27 11 463 9285 Website: www.siyenza.za.com

March 2010 Power & Electricity World Africa Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 15 – 19 March 2010

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Contact: Gina Bester

Contact: Mark Burridge

Tel: +27 11 516 4050

Tel: +27 21 713 3360

Fax: +27 11 707 8354

E-mail: mark@fairconsultants.com

E-mail: gina.bester@terrapinn.co.za

Website: http://oilafrica.mbendi.com/

Website: www.terrapinn.com/2010/powerza

Oil & Gas Africa 2010

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Date:16 – 18 March 2010

ENERGY EVENT S

March 2010 SPE Intelligent Energy Conference & Exhibition

2010 C³: Climate Commerce Conference

Location: Jaarbeurs, Utrecht, United Kingdom

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 23 - 25 March 2010

Contact: SPE International

Contact: Sabrina Manikkam

Tel: +44 207 299 3300

Tel: +27 11 325 6363

Date: 29 – 30 March 2010

Fax: +27 11 325 6362 16th Latin Oil Week 2010 Location: Rio de Janeiro

E-mail: sabrina@merchantec.co.za Date: 24 – 27 March 2010

Contact: Sonika Greyvenstein

5th Annual African Biofuels

Tel: +27 11 880 7052

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

E-mail: sonika@glopac-partners.com

Contact: Jason Chadwick

Date: March – April 2010

Tel: +27 11 771 7135 Fax: +27 11 880 6789 E-mail: jchadwick@iir.co.za

April 2010 The Water Institute of Southern Africa

Green Building Conference 2010

Biennial Conference and Exhibition Location: Durban, South Africa

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa Date: 18 – 22 April 2010

Date: 29 – 30 April 2010

Website: www.greenbuilding.co.za

Tel: +27 31 303 9852 E-mail: thulisile@confco.co.za Website: www.wisa2010.org.za

May 2010 Eastern Africa Energy Week Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction to Energy Management (IEMT) Date: 10 – 12 May 2010

Website: www.petro21.com

Location: South Africa

Date: 17 – 19 May 2010

Contact: Christina den Heijer Cell: +27 82 334 0923

GREENEX 2010 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Tel/Fax: +27 18 294 7174 Date: 12 – 13 May 2010

E-mail: cemanager1@intekom.co.za

E-mail: saae@iburst.co.za Website: tinyurl.com/greenex2010

Certified Energy Auditor Course (CEA)

Wind Power Africa 2010

Contact: Christina den Heijer

Location: South Africa Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Date: 12 – 14 May 2010

Date: 17 – 20 May 2010

Cell: +27 82 334 0923

Contact: Denise Spaull

Tel/Fax: +27 18 294 7174

Tel: +27 21 689 7881

E-mail: cemanager1@intekom.co.za

E-mail: denise@windenergyafrica.com Website: www.windenergyafrica.com

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E NE R GY E V E NTS

Don’t miss out!

For a full list of up-coming events in the energy industry, visit www.25degrees.net, our brand new energy portal. With a full listing of event information, including venues, costs and contact people, the site is a valuable resource in terms of planning which events you shouldn’t miss.

May 2010 Certified Energy Manager Course (CEM)

Carbon Expo 2010

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 17 – 21 May 2010

Location: Cologne, Germany

Contact:Christina den Heijer

Contact: Lisa Kuntze

Cell: +27 82 334 0923

Tel: +27 11 486 2775

Tel/Fax: +27 18 294 7174

E-mail: lkuntze@germanchamber.co.za

E-mail: cemanager1@intekom.co.za

Website: www.carbonexpo.com

Date: 26 – 28 May 2010

Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP) Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 19 – 21 May 2010

Contact: Christina den Heijer Cell: +27 82 334 0923 Tel/Fax: +27 18 294 7174 E-mail: cemanager1@intekom.co.za

October 2010 Certified Carbon Reduction Manager (CRM)

Certified Energy Manager Course (CEM)

Location: South Africa

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: 11 – 14 October 2010

Contact: Christina den Heijer

Contact:Christina den Heijer

Cell: +27 82 334 0923

Tel/Fax: +27 18 294 7174

E-mail: cemanager1@intekom.co.za

Certified Energy Auditor Course (CEA) Location: South Africa

Date: 11 – 15 October 2010

Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP) Date: 11 – 14 October 2010

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Contact: Christina den Heijer

Cell: +27 82 334 0923

Tel/Fax: +27 18 294 7174

E-mail: cemanager1@intekom.co.za

Date: 13 – 15 October 2010