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Friday, July 3, 2009.
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Amy Witherden.
Making headlines today:
While South Africa currently produces about 250-million tons of coal a year, it is estimated that about 48-million tons a year of this capacity will be lost in the next ten years, as mines reach the end of their productive lives.
Considering coal consumption by Eskom, Sasol and the metallurgical sector, as well as coal destined for export, the Chamber of Mines (CoM) has determined that South Africa will need to produce about 384-million tons a year of coal by 2018.
Eskom specialist coal consultant Johan Dempers previously indicated that South Africa will need to start up about 40 new coal mines at a cost of some R110-billion in order to meet the country's electricity needs by 2020.
CoM assistant adviser for technoeconomics Dick Kruger seems confident that the country's coal-miners will be able to meet these requirements, as there are currently projects in the pipeline to bring on line a coal producing capacity of about 182-million tons a year.

Zimbabwe has appealed to Chinese firms to invest in Zimbabwean mines, asking companies to ignore the country's recent troubles and strike now while the iron is hot.
Taonga Mushayavanhu, Zimbabwe's deputy ambassador in Beijing, urged Chinese companies attending a mining conference to invest in his country, which has deposits of platinum, gold and diamonds, among other minerals.
The government of Zimbabwe recognises the importance of the mining industry in its economic recovery programme and realises that economic turnaround cannot be possible without foreign investment, he said.
Last week, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said that Zimbabwe had secured $950-million in credit from China to help rebuild its economy.
Also making headlines:

The exposed and unhedged Harmony Gold says that there is no need to panic over the rand/gold price slump.
ArcelorMittal suspends its Senegal iron-ore project.
Firestone Energy says that its plans to start a small-scale mining operation in the Waterberg region are ‘well advanced'.
And, Platinum junior Jubilee is to make a firm offer for Braemore.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories, please visit miningweekly.com.