As South Africa’s second largest earner with regard to the value of total sales after gold, coal provides 6.1% of the country’s total merchandise exports. World wide, South Africa is the sixth largest holder of coal with 31 billion tonnes of recoverable coal reserves. This is equivalent to 11 % of the world’s total coal reserves.

While most of the coal is consumed by the South Africa’s energy sector, (approximately 77 %)circa 69 million tonnes of coal per annum are exported via Richard’s Bay Coal Terminal. In the past, the majority of our coal exports went to Europe, but recently, India and China have become the preferred market.

Coal production in South Africa is concentrated in large mines, with 8 mines accounting for 61 % of the output. About 46.5 % of the country’s coal mining is underground and 53.5 % is produced from open-cast mining methods. Bituminous or steam coal is South Africa’s main export coal, with anthracite having to be imported, due to dwindling reserves.

[source: http://www.universalcoal.com]

South Africa is a significant participant in the global coal markets. However, it is not the biggest. China, the USA and India are much larger producers and consumers of coal. Australia, Indonesia, Russia and Colombia are larger exporters.  Yet, South Africa’s coal industry is noteworthy in a number of respects;  it is a relatively low cost producer (along with Indonesia and Colombia), has the world’s largest coal export terminal, and is positioned conveniently between Atlantic and Pacific coal markets. It is a potential swing producer, able to export competitively to either Europe or the East.

With substantial coal reserves there is scope for expanding its coal exports, thereby generating much needed export earnings and reducing the country’s negative trade balance and current account deficit.

South Africa is also a major consumer of coal, mainly for electricity production and also operates the world’s only commercial coal synfuel plants (Sasol).

Sasol is the world’s first – and largest – oil-from-coal refinery.  It is situated in Sasolburg in South Africa and provides 40% of the country’s fuel. The history of Sasol began in 1927 when a White Paper was tabled in Parliament to investigate the establishment of a South African oil-from-coal industry.

It was realised then that, because South Africa did not have crude oil reserves, the country’s balance of payments had to be protected against increasing crude oil imports. After many years of research and international negotiations, the South African Coal Oil and Gas Corporation was formed in 1950.

Major milestones include the first automotive fuel (1955), the construction of the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa (1967) and the establishment in 1990 of its first international marketing company, Sasol Chemicals Europe.

Sasol has developed world-leading technology for the conversion of low-grade coal into value-added synfuels and chemicals.

Researchers have created a remarkable new kind of concrete that’s made out of waste products from coal plants–concrete that could both last for hundreds of years and reduce carbon emissions by 90%. The cement industry is one of the most polluting industries there is, contributing 5-8% of the world’s greenhouse gases. This new ‘geopolymer concrete’ emits 90% less than its Portland brethren, and could last ten times as long, in addition to having a slew of other advantages. According to Science Daily, the fly ash concrete can produce a more durable infrastructure capable of design life measured in hundreds of years instead of tens, conserve hundreds of thousands of acres currently used for disposal of coal combustion products, and protect aquifers and surface bodies of fresh water via the elimination of fly ash disposal sites.

Research is still being done on the geopolymer, but it the notion that the stuff can capture carbon dioxide, prevent the need for toxic dump sites, and be turned into a better, longer-lasting version of a highly in-demand product make it the best kind of triple threat . More than a few eyes will on this carbon-trapping concrete.

Source:  http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/new-concrete-made-from-coal-plant-waste-lasts-10-times-as-long.html