Current power price path will squeeze SA competitiveness

South Africa’s international competitiveness will increasingly be dampened by the rapid rate at which the domestic electricity price is rising, Energy Intensive User Group chairperson Mike Rossouw said on the second day of the Africa Energy...

Power price risk stopping projects – Harmony Gold

New long-term electricity-intensive gold projects are being rendered unbankable in South Africa because of the uncertainty surrounding the future price of electricity, says Harmony Gold CEO Graham Briggs. "Increased electricity cost risk is one...

Xstrata puts R5bn SA investment on hold because of power crisis

Diversified miner Xstrata has put a R5-billion South African investment on hold because of the power crisis. Xstrata CEO Mick Davis, who spoke at the Wits Business School, says that the investment that Xstrata has held back was for the expansion...

SA regulator grants Eskom 24,8% tariff increase for 2010/11

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved an Eskom power tariff increase of 24,8% as from April, 1, 2010, and subsequent increase of 25,8% and 25,9% for 2011/12 and 2012/13 respectively, chairperson Cecilia Khuzwayo...

Electricity tariff increases 
to negatively affect gold mining industry

The South African economy cannot absorb such a large price shock as that proposed by State-owned power utility Eskom, and the outlook for mines higher up the cost curve would be bleak, South Africa’s Chamber of Mines (CoM) told the National...

Big electricity hikes will be ‘materially damaging’ to SA mines

In the absence of the finalisation of the country’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), power utility Eskom’s proposed tariff increases could have material implications for the structure of South Africa’s electricity supply industry (ESI), as...

Miner-supported investigation calculates ‘sustainable' Eskom price hike at 25%

Research consultancy Genesis Analytics asserts South Africa's State-owned power utility, Eskom, can cut a further ten percentage points a year off its application for tariff increases of 35% annually to 2013.

DRDGold shares fall as Blyvoor goes into judicial management

The shares of DRDGold fell as the application for the judicial management of its Blyvooruitzicht gold mine was granted in the South Gauteng High Court. DRDGold CEO Niel Pretorius told Mining Weekly Online that the court had still to appoint a...

On-The-Air (6/11/2009)

Harmony Gold lobby's for a better solution to Eskom's electricity tariffs; South Africa's car manufacturing industry is becoming dangerously uncompetitive; and strict conditions are placed on companies that are receiving bailout money from the...

SA ferrochrome producers losing credibility

South African ferrochrome producers faced losing credibility as supplier and customer confidence took a dip because of the electricity cuts that producers were being asked to make, said stainless-steel ingredients producer Merafe Resources CEO...

SA ferrochrome producers risk losing credibility as suppliers – Phiri

South African ferrochrome producers faced losing credibility as suppliers, as customer confidence took a dip because of the electricity cuts that producers are being asked to make, said Merafe Resources CEO Steve Phiri. He explained that a 10%...

SA mining chamber says power-tariff smoothing will do least damage

South African Chamber of Mines (CoM) chief economist Roger Baxter on Thursday stated that a smoothed approach of increasing electricity prices, as well as a phased approach of providing proper incentives for people to start becoming energy...