Underground coal gasification boost, diesel mechanisation and health, simulation upping safety, productivity

摘要

THE INCLUSION OF UNDERGROUND COAL GASIFICATION (UCG) regulation in the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) Amendment Bill is raising hopes of the near-term inclusion of clean coal technology in the national energy mix. Read on page 9 of this edition of Mining Weekly of the Department of Energy and the Department of Mineral Resources talking of establishing an interdepartmental task team to synchronise the introduction of UCG, which State electricity enterprise Eskom has successfully piloted, together with coal, over two years at its Majuba power station to determine the commercial viability of the technology. Eskom will start work on a larger-scale UCG plant at Majuba as soon as environmental approvals are received. During this second phase, the UCG gas will continue to be co-fired with coal, but, in the planned third phase, only gas will be used. Eskom is excited about UCG because it opens up the possibility of making use of coal reserves previously regarded as too fragmented, too deep or simply uneconomical.