Anglo Platinum has said that the mining industry will come up with solutions to the power crisis as well as Eskom and the Government.

Speaking to Mining Weekly Online, Duncan Wanblad, joint acting Anglo Platinum Chief Executive Officer, said: "I am very confident that we, as a mining industry, will come up with some adequate solutions dealing with cogeneration or efficiency measures."

He said that people within Anglo Platinum were working with Eskom to come up with solutions together to try and work against South Africa's energy problems.

"There is one thing that we don't want to do is end up having to import many millions of litres of diesel up into the reef areas, so one has to be cognisant of all the secondary and the knock-on constraints that could well occur as a result of some of these initiatives. But there are options available and these are being pursued," Mr Wanblad explained.

Since the energy crisis began Anglo Platinum has been forced to shed 30,000 oz of platinum and this could increase depending on the length of the crisis.

Eskom has restored 90 per cent of power to the mines and in an effort to look for new ways of guaranteeing energy supply has offered to buy power from locals.

According to Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin, Eskom is trying to buy electricity from local industrial firms in a bid to resolve the problems.

"Large producers, who would not normally want to be in electricity but need electricity, are now considering that there may be merit in them going into electricity production and selling to Eskom," Mr Erwin said.

He told Reuters that gas-fired turbine stations were a possible route for the Government because they are quick to build.

But despite gas-fired turbine stations being quick to build, South Africans could face tight energy supplies for another four years.

Speaking to Parliament, Mr Erwin said South Africa's energy problems were not that different from other developing countries saying that the current reserve margin was just eight per cent.

Building the gas-fired stations could increase that to 15 per cent, one per cent below the National Energy Regulator's preferred level, but they would not be ready until 2010 at the earliest.

According to Engineering News a Koeberg-type pressure water reactor would not be ready before 2015 and a pebble bed modular reactor would not be operational before 2013 although a nuclear strategy would be finalised this year.

Meanwhile, the continuing energy crisis has hit the South African rand as it fell versus the dollar.

The fall followed the news that the country would remain in an energy "emergency" for up to six months.

So far the rand has fallen by 14 per cent against the dollar this year decreasing to 7.8000, according to Bloomberg.

Sources:

We'll come up with solutions, says Angloplat's Wanblad of power crisis, 12/02/08
http://www.miningweekly.co.za/article.php?a_id=126650

Eskom keen to buy power from locals - Erwin, 11/02/08
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=126635

'Tight energy' for four more years, 11/02/08
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=126620

South Africa's Rand Falls as Minister Says Mines Cutting Output, 11/02/08
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=a6aSOx5.rycU&refer=africa

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