Mining In Africa Can Reduce Its Environmental Impact, Futureproof Its Energy Needs With Natural Gas
Lindiwe Mekwe, general manager: ROMPCO supervision and legal affairs
When reducing its environmental impact and future energy demand, natural gas is the best answer to the mining industry. Transition to natural gas or renewable energy can significantly improve energy efficiency, thereby reducing emissions. For the important steps, use natural gas, solar energy, wind energy and hydropower alternative energy resources, as well as energy -saving technologies.
The role that natural gas can play in the energy transition of African mines is inextricably linked with its ability to help solve environmental problems. Due to concerns about air quality and climate change, large natural gas will occupy more pollution fuels, thereby providing many potential benefits. Considering the restrictions on renewable energy options, this is particularly true, and it is difficult to find the facts of cost -effective zero carbon options in some parts of the energy system.
Naturally cheaper, cleaner, more efficient, and more cost -effective. It emits 50 % to 60 % carbon dioxide (C2) When the emissions of the typical new coal -fired power plant are burned when the new, effective natural gas power plant is burned. Studies show CO2 When burning fuel, it is a function of fuel carbon content.
The flexibility of natural gas into the energy system can also make it very suitable for the rise of variable renewable energy (such as wind and solar energy). Natural gas can provide reliable energy for remote mining locations that cannot obtain power sources, and can also help mining companies to avoid financial challenges of volatile diesel and a large amount of fuel prices.
The use of natural gas in the mining industry will affect local African communities and create employment opportunities. Sustainable development is about the local society, environment and economic goals that have long been realized in the community. The interaction between mines and communities should increase available physics, finance, human and information resources.
The challenge is to ensure that people who are affected by local and projects are considered to be active, and the community develops in the same way as its own vision. This can be achieved by providing social services, income or skills development.
When establishing natural gas infrastructure, the community can obtain salary and a lot of income flow, which can act as an important catalyst that changes and grows. For the previous cash economic peripheral areas, these currency flows can change the economic and social foundation of the community.
South Africa is the signing country of the UN Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. As a densely energy and emission medium -income developing country, the government has realized that the country must contribute to global efforts to contribute to its efforts to move to zero -net carbon emissions in 2050.
In the 2023 Comprehensive Resource Plan (IRP), natural gas has become a key part of South Africa’s future energy group. Since the existing natural gas infrastructure can support the energy demand of mining industries and may adapt to the expansion of the infrastructure, it will ensure that the mining industry can ensure sufficient energy resources to maintain its future activities.
With the economic economy of South Africa, natural gas plays a key role as transition fuel and can replace more densely dense fossil fuels, such as coal and diesel. The energy demand in the mainland may exceed the supply. The advantage of natural gas than traditional energy is its domestic availability. The established distribution network, relatively low cost and reduced environmental footprints.
So far, South Africa consumes about 180 PETAJOULE (PJ/A) natural gas each year, mainly in the Synfuels industry (110 PJ/A) and the industrial department (70 PJ/A). The taxable income generated up to 215 billion (BN), accounting for about 1-2 % of GDP. The 26 -inch high -voltage cross -border gas transmission pipes were built and the 26 -inch high -voltage cross -border gas transmission pipeline transported from Mozambique’s central processing facilities (CPF) to Mozambique and South Africa, and natural gas transported natural gas to Mozambique and South Africa.
High -pressure gas transmission pipeline has been owned and operated by the Mozambique Pipeline Investment Company (rompco) Since October 26, 2000, according to the pipeline agreement. The Mozambique government awarded the exclusive right to occupy the pipeline corridor as some protected areas prescribed by the Land Law for pipeline actions.
In addition, on February 27, 2007, the South African National Energy Regulatory Agency (NERSA) issued a 334 -kilometer segment of the 334 kilometers of transmission pipelines of Mozambique Secreta Pipeline (MSP) to ROMPCO. The MSP gas network, including the Komatipoort compressor station, is a single source of supply of natural gas to several customers in South Africa’s economic gas in different industries of South Africa.
The existence and/or other investment requirements of gas extraction and transportation are important decisive factors for the economic feasibility of new or expanded natural gas development. Domestic natural gas utilization infrastructure (such as gasoline plants) may be another investment opportunity for ROMPCO.
Steering and more flexible natural gas infrastructure in applications and locations, such as floating storage and re-equipment (FSRU) and small, modular and flexible power generation factories-provide lower risk conditions and have long-term economic impact. For natural gas and renewable energy, financial availability is the key to infrastructure development. In short, natural gas can also support the industrialization of Africa, which may lead to the development of economic growth and renewable infrastructure.
