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Coal mining is by nature disturbing and destructive of the environment Open cast mining removes large volumes of soil and rock overburden to get to the workable coal seams and destroys regional aquifers Mining produces large mountains of solid waste Coal heaps are prone to spontaneous combustion
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This article considers the situation in a once important coal‐mining region in northern KwaZulu‐Natal South Africa focusing particularly on the community of Utrecht In the postapartheid period unemployment in the area has escalated at a time when greater empowerment of the historically disadvantaged black population is urgently needed
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The majority of Thungela s coal is exported and its revenue was positively impacted by the benchmark thermal coal price which strengthened by 47% compared to H1 2024 however the strengthening of the Rand offset some of the gains
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Coal for Energy More than 70% of South Africa s primary energy needs from electricity generation to steel production and brickmaking were provided by coal in 2024 Thermal coal or steam coal is mainly used in electricity generation while metallurgical coal is mostly used in steel production In the latest Integrated Resource Plan coal
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Management of coal dust has been identified as a primary area for concern considering the potential for substantial dust emissions from coal mining activities Nevertheless here are some notable environmental impacts of coal dust predominantly on land and water 1 Coal dust degrades air quality This is the most evident environmental impact
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If a transition away from coal is starting to appear more likely the impact on the workers in the coal mines and coal power sectors must be considered Indeed South Africa was the only country that included a mention of the need to ensure a just transition in its Nationally Determined Contribution under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change UNFCCC process
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in the overall land area in South Africa under food 18 The impacts of mining on land use and biodiversity are long lived As a 2024 report states the social and environmental impact of mining activities on a region air pollution water pollution crime etc are often so severe that farming activities cannot be sustained
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Africa — and the likely impacts of a coal phase out — we outline the key elements of a coal transition including available policy mechanisms and the role of subnational governments Coal in South Africa South Africa today relies on coal to generate 92% of its electricity and to produce roughly 20% of its liquid fuels Department of
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The impact of the mining industry on water sources in South Africa has become very acute At least a thousand mines are operational and their water use equals that of the country s entire population of 53 million The ever increasing large scale mining activities moreover cause the contamination of rivers and groundwater sources contribute to air pollution and result in land degradation
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In South Africa the coal industry totals more than 12% of the mining workforce more than 65 000 workers and it is estimated that more than US$1 billion in wages are paid to its workforce each year Even more importantly however the impact that these jobs have is spread widely across communities at large In South Africa it has been
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The use of coal in South Africa dates back to the iron age Economic impact The Witbank Coalfield accounts for 40% of South Africa s coal production Mining
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The industry also provides % of the country s energy requirements Coal sales earned the country billion in 2024 billion in 2024 and billion in 2024 The industry
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South Africa s efforts to lead a just transition that protects vulnerable workers and communities especially coal miners women and youth affected by the move away from coal South Africa s nationally determined efforts to successfully and sustainably manage Eskom s debt define the role of the private sector and create an enabling
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The mining and utilization of coal may cause environmental impacts in different ways Earle and Robert 1996 Ghose 2024 Glauser et al 2024 While the emissions of CO 2 and other poisonous gases from coal burning have received considerably more attention in recent years in contrast many of the other environmental problems created by coal mining have been largely neglected by mine owners and
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In South Africa energy security is inextricably linked to coal mining since Eskom purchases approximately half of the locally produced coal Chamber of Mines of South Africa 2024 Eskom is guaranteed a supply of water since it is listed as the only strategic water user in the National Water Act 36 of 1998 Olsson 2024
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The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on coal supply and demand low economic growth in export markets and growing international opposition to coal mining and coal fired power generation because of environmental concerns are some of the challenges faced by the coal mining sector Lockdown Challenges
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The history and economics of mining and minerals in South Africa Mining in South Africa dates back thousands of years as the gold trade created a link to the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula 13 However it was not until the mid nineteenth century with the arrival of the British that the serious exploitation of valuable gold resources began
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Mining in Mpmalanga accounts for 83% of South Africa s coal production Currently there are 68 coal field projects are working in Mpumalanga Camden Grootvli and Komati are the three main power station in Mpumalanga The state of Chhattisgarh was created in 2024 when the region was separated from Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh covers 135000 square kilometres and is populated by million
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As South Africa relies strongly on the exports of its precious metals to finance its current account deficit the impact of load shedding on mining operations which are energy intensive has led to a strong depreciation of the rand as well as a stalling of economic growth and downward revisions in growth forecasts
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Mining loses shine for the second year in a row Exactly a week after delegates closed the 26th Investing in African Mining Indaba Stats SA released data on the performance of the mining industry in 2024 The level of production was 1 3% lower in 2024 than 2024 which in turn was 2 1% lower than 2024
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Furthermore the future of South Africa is dependent on mines as they bring in money for the country Therefore Mining is a very profitable sector and it also creates employment opportunities factors which help improve the socio economic standards of the country However despite these benefits the nature of mining has a negative long term effect on the environment and its people during and
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Environmentalists in South Africa have been working for several years to discourage the development of new coal fired power stations which they say would have a high pollution impact be
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South Africa Accepted 7 October 2024 Acid mine drainage is recognized as one of the more serious environmental problems in the mining industry Acid mine drainage is a major problem on coal and gold mines throughout the world and in South Africa the main focus of this study is no exception Various studies that have been undertaken
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This large industry means that as of 2024 about 80 000 workers or 5% of total employment was from the coal industry down from a peak in 1981 of 135 000 workers [3] The coal industry is South Africa s largest contribution to the greenhouse gases that cause climate change [4] [3]
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Coal of Africa Limited CoAL is a developing South African coal mining company CoAL s three main projects are the Vele Colliery the Makhado Project and MbeuYashu known as the Greater Soutpansberg Project Because it has excellent access to port and rail infrastructure the company can serve domestic and international markets and provide
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Mining continues to be a dangerous activity whether large scale industrial mining or small scale artisanal mining Not only are there accidents but exposure to dust and toxins along with stress from the working environment or managerial pressures give rise to a range of diseases that affect miners I look at mining and health from various personal perspectives that of the ordinary man
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FACTORS HINDERING COAL MINING IN SOUTH AFRICA REDUCED DEMAND Negative views on coal and its environmental impact have resulted in a major decline in its use by the major economies of the world Because of coal s contribution to greenhouse gas GHG emissions many countries have put in place strict environmental laws which have affected demand for coal
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Tonnagewise airborne pollutants from coal combustion by far exceed waterborne pollutants from coal mining and washing About 1 /a of SO 2 probably 1 /a of fly ash about 0 3 /a of NO x and a few 1000 t/a of trace elements are presently emitted by ESCOM and SASOL power stations as compared with 0 1 to 0 2 mil t/a of waterborne total dissolved solids from all coalfields
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Coal mining plays a critical role in the economy of South Africa though posing detrimental environmental effects on aquatic life and the terrestrial environments with one of the major
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Inside the Komati Power Station on 8 November 2024 It is one of the oldest remaining coal fired power stations in South Africa Eskom s website goes on to explain that a 100 000kW turbine requires about 4 000 000 gallons of cooling water per hour for its condenser The temperature of this water is raised about 15°F while passing through
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