Page 13 - AfrElec Week 12 2021

AfrElec BIOFUELS AfrElec

for refined products and 233mn litres (1.47mn that can produce fuel.”
barrels) for crude oil. Kamau added that “the first step will be how
ENI converted the Venice refinery to run on to get used cooking oil from households, hotels
biofuels in 2014 and intends to produce biodiesel and restaurants and then refine it towards using
by 2024, and also operates the country’s Gela it as biodiesel. The other thing we are looking
bio-refinery. at is the growing of the crops – these include
Meanwhile, Petroleum and Mining Principal rapeseed, castor seeds and sugar cane. This has
Secretary Andrew Kamau said that Eni began the potential to create employment and further
biofuel studies in December. “One of the things develop agriculture.”
we have been working on since December is bio- During the same visit, Eni announced that it
fuels. Eni has been undertaking a study in Kenya had been given the rights to drill more explor-
to see how we can produce biodiesel and power atory wells offshore Mombasa, signing amend-
ethanol. The company is working with the min- ments to three production-sharing contracts
istries of petroleum, agriculture and the treasury (PSCs).™
to see how we can engage farmers to grow crops

NEWS IN BRIEF

HYDRO COAL protected status meant that commercial
mining could only take place with express
Nigeria’s Zungeru Reprieve for Mpumalanga joint permission of the Environment Minister
and the Minerals Minister. In January
Hydropower Station Set to Strategic Water Source Area 2021, Mpumalanga MEC Vusi Shongwe
revoked the protected area status to allow the
Be Concessioned as court halts new mine proposed coal mine to proceed without those
permissions.
Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) On March 23, the Pretoria High Court A coalition of civil society organisations
is seeking to concession the 700 MW Zungeru issued an interdict preventing a coal mining has worked together since 2015 to undo the
hydropower station located in Niger State, company from commencing mining and approvals given for this mine. On 5 March
which is set to become operational by the end related activities in a Strategic Water Source 2021, the coalition brought an interdict
of 2021. Area. application after the mining company gave
The BPE invites prospective technical The interdict was issued to allow the legal notice of its intention to start with mining
advisers to provide transaction advisory challenges of its various permits to be decided activities on 24 March 2021. The Coalition
services for the process of concessioning first – before harm is done to strategic and asked the court to order the company to stay
the plant once it comes online, with a view important water sources. commencement until its other pending legal
to driving private participation within the The High Court’s order prevents and proceedings have been determined.
electricity sector. restrains coal miner Uthaka Energy from There are five other court challenges
Among other responsibilities, the selected conducting any mining activities and of permits granted for the proposed mine
advisor will conduct a due diligence review of mining-related operations (including any pending before the High Court, and the
the plant; take into consideration all applicable activities preparatory, ancillary or incidental Coalition will shortly launch a sixth court
laws and regulations; and formulate a detailed to mining) – save for survey pegging of the challenge asking the High Court to review and
concession plan that will garner interest from surface infrastructure boundary and wetlands set aside the MEC’s deproclamation decision.
international investors and is aligned with demarcation pegging of the approved plan – “Decades of mining and burning of coal
criteria set forth by the National Council of in respect of its proposed Yzermyn coal mine has caused toxic air pollution and water
Privatisation. near Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga. pollution on the Mpumalanga Highveld,
The power station will yield 2,630 GWh The proposed coal mine would fall within which has meant ill health and premature
per year, in a bid to boost grid-connected a Strategic Water Source Area – one of only 22 death for thousands of people living here,”
installed generation capacity. According areas where more than 50% of South Africa’s says Robby Mokgalaka, coal community
to the BPE, only 14% of construction and freshwater originates. Protecting strategic campaigner with environmental justice group
preparation works remains to be completed. water source areas is crucial for South Africa’s groundWork.
Managed by the Federal Ministry of Power water security, and for their ability to provide groundWork is one of the applicants
and Steel and located on the Kaduna River, the water for people and our country’s economic in the so-called Deadly Air case about the
project — which carries an estimated value of activity. health impacts of the poor air quality on the
$1.3bn — saw first construction work in May Until January 2021, the proposed mining Highveld. This case will go to court in May
2013. The Zungeru power station represents area also fell within the Mabola Protected 2021.
the largest hydroelectric project currently Environment, a protected area declared CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS
underway in Nigeria. under the Protected Areas Act in 2014. That

Week 12 25•March•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13