Energy in South Africa
Encyclopedia
Energy in South Africa describes energy
World energy resources and consumption
]World energy consumption in 2010: over 5% growthEnergy markets have combined crisis recovery and strong industry dynamism. Energy consumption in the G20 soared by more than 5% in 2010, after the slight decrease of 2009. This strong increase is the result of two converging trends...

 and electricity
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...

 production, consumption and export in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

.
South Africa was 6. top hard coal producer in 2009. Hard coal production was 1,620 TWh in 2009 and total energy production 1,995 TWh in 2008. The environmenatal concerns of old abandoned coal mines are high. Many abandoned mines have been burning since the 1940s. Persistent and toxic mine chemical leakages pollute waterways and kill animals. In 2006, about 80% of South Africa’s coal exports was in Europe.

Overview

Energy in South Africa
Capita Prim. energy Production Export Electricity CO2-emission
Million TWh TWh TWh TWh Mt
2004 45.51 1,525 1,814 279 226.5 343.4
2007 47.59 1,562 1,856 254 238.6 345.8
2008 48.69 1,564 1,895 203 232.2 337.4
2009 49.32 1,675 1,868 158 224 369
Change 2004-2009 8.4  % 9.8 % 3.0 % -43 % -1.3 % 7.6 %
Mtoe = 11.63 TWh, Prim. energy includes energy losses

Coal

South Africa was 6. top hard coal producer in 2009: 247 Mt hard coal, below Australia
Energy in Australia
Energy in Australia describes energy and electricity production, consumption and export in Australia. Energy policy of Australia describes the politics of Australia related to energy....

 335 Mt and Indonesia
Energy in Indonesia
Energy in Indonesia describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Indonesia. In 2009 Indonesia produced oil, coal, natural gas and palm oil, utilized also as energy raw material in 2010. Renewable energy potential in Indonesia is high: solar, wind, hydro and geothermal...

 263 Mt and above Russia  229 Mt. South Africa was 5. top hard coal net exporter in 2009: 67 Mt hard coal of the world total hard coal export 836 Mt.

In 2009 247 Mt hard coal production is 247 Mt*0.564 toe/Mt*11.630 TWh/toe = 1620 TWh and export 67 Mt*0.564 toe/Mt*11.630 TWh/toe = 439 TWh.

Coal and environment

Coal production and use creates in South Africa ”Coal combustion wastes” (CCW), coal mine wastes (AMD) and toxic coal land fires. Coal combustion wastes (CCW), contain toxic substances like arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead. Hundreds of South African old coal mines are filled with sulphate salts, heavy metals and carcinogenic substances like benzene and toluene. This AMD damages wildlife and spreads illness and disease. According to Greenpeace most shockingly is eMalahleni
Witbank
Witbank , also known as eMalahleni is a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa, within the eMalahleni Local Municipality. The name Witbank is Afrikaans for White Ridge and is named after a white sandstone outcrop where wagon transport drivers rested...

 ‘place of coal’, Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...

 province, surrounded by 22 collieries and steel, vanadium and manganese plants. One of the biggest old mines is the Transvaal and Delagoa Bay (T&DB) mine, closed in 1953. 60 km downstream from Emalahleni AMD leaked into the water supply in 2006 and 2007 killing thousands of fish, crocodiles and freshwater turtles and poisoning the water used by communities. Coal fires continue in the disused mines.

Electricity

In 2008 electricity was produced 241 TWh with coal. In 2008 electricity production + imports – exports – losses was 232 TWh.

Climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...

 

The 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference
2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference
The 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference is an ongoing conference, held in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November to 9 December 2011....

 was held in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, from 28 November to 9 December 2011. South Africa's environment minister is Edna Molewa
Edna Molewa
Edna Molewa is a South African politician. Molewa became the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs of South Africa on October 31, 2010, as part of a cabinet reshuffle by President Jacob Zuma. She replaced her predecessor, Buyelwa Sonjica.-External links:* - broadcast on Radio France...

(2011).
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