Decarbonisation, renewables can create new economic sectors in SA – Anglo Platinum

Decarbonisation, renewables can create new economic sectors in SA – Anglo Platinum: Anglo American Platinum CEO Natascha Viljoen on Monday expressed the firm belief that decarbonisation and renewable energy have the potential to create new economic sectors in South Africa. On the renewable energy front, Viljoen also revealed that Anglo Platinum is itself ahead of schedule in the development of its broader national renewable energy strategy, which involves deeloping between 3GW and 5GW of wind, solar and hydropumping and storage power.

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Russia ban seen tightening coal market that’s already surging

Russia ban seen tightening coal market that’s already surging: A looming ban on Russian coal imports by the European Union will add to supply pressure that’s sent prices of the fossil fuel hurtling to a record, according to a key Australian producer. Global supply constraints and strong demand pushed Asia’s benchmark Newcastle thermal coal to a quarterly record of $377-a ton in the three months through June, Whitehaven Coal said Monday in a statement. The company expects to report a jump in earnings to A$3-billion ($2-billion) from A$204.5-million when it next month reports financial-year results.

'The losses are enormous': Mpumalanga shutdown hits coal, chrome exporters

'The losses are enormous': Mpumalanga shutdown hits coal, chrome exporters: Blockaded roads and disruption of transport routes associated with the Mpumalanga shutdown have served to twist the knife in commodity exporters already struggling to move product out of the country. A shutdown campaign gripped Mpumalanga on Wednesday when taxi and truck drivers blockaded critical transport routes, and even offloaded tonnages of coal onto highways, in protest of escalating fuel prices. On Thursday, disruptions spread to the R34 connecting Richards Bay and Empangeni.

Eskom confirms strong flow of grid-connection applications for Bid Window 6 of renewables programme

Eskom confirms strong flow of grid-connection applications for Bid Window 6 of renewables programme: Eskom’s Grid Access Unit reports that it has received payments for 179 cost estimate letters, or CELs, and has issued 53 such letters, following the April 6 issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) for Bid Window Six (BW6) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). Speaking during a virtual bidders conference hosted by the IPP Office, the unit’s head, Azwimbavhi Mamanyuha, reported that a total of 219 grid-access applications had been received by Eskom in relation to BW6, the bid submission date for which is August 11.

Negatives and Positives

Our winter period is always a slow time for stocks in the Southern Hemesphere!

This time the market has retreated more than usual  ,burdened by the war in Ukraine,uncertainty as to when it will end and the knock on effect of rising prices as sanctions against Russia have caused energy producing products to increase.

China also has increased its preperations to invade Taiwan and seems to be using older methods to counteract their latest covid outbreak.

Inflation is increasing worldwide as populations are finding it difficult to find work leading to unrest.

On the positive side our minerals and metals which have fallen in price quite sharply will be first to pick up as there will always be a demand for them and oversupply stocks have run down.

We are supposedly neutral in this conflict,but it would good for our rulers to remembeer that the West are our main buyers!