CRADLE TO THE GRAVE
MANAGE EMISSIONS WITH IOT
The first phase of the Carbon Tax was introduced in June 2019.
During this phase, which will continue until December 2022,
heavy emitters of CO 2 will have an opportunity to prepare for
the introduction of phase two of the programme. The second
phase will entail imposing a higher penalty on companies for
emitting harmful carbon from industrial processes and through
the combustion of fossil fuels.
The initial headline rate is R120 per tonne of CO 2 or its
equivalent, namely methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons,
hydrofluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. Businesses can
realistically expect to pay between R6 and R48 per tonne of
carbon dioxide, as well as other harmful gases that they emit
into the atmosphere during this initial phase.
While the tax is a commendable initiative that is in line with best
international practice, there are many facets of the legislation
that require clarity. Nico Bezuidenhout, business development
manager of First Technology Group, says that this has made it
almost impossible for companies to precisely quantify the costs
of their carbon footprints.
“There is a dearth of accurate and reliable emissions data
and the limited information that is available is seldom shared
between organisations. Forward-thinking companies have
been well aware of this risk since the Carbon Tax policy paper
was published in 2013. Much of their focus since then has,
therefore, been on finding effective ways of collating accurate
data they need to measure emissions for mitigation planning.
Following closely in the footsteps of their international
counterparts, many South African companies also want
AUTOMATION RAISES CYBER RISK
Next-generation automation is a double-edged sword for
the mining sector; increasing the risk of cyber-attacks and
jeopardising safety and revenues. According to cyber security
specialist GECI representative Mike Bergen, South African mining
operations are set to embrace next-generation automation and
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems to slash costs and
increase production, but they risk crippling shutdowns and
threats to human safety if they fail to adequately protect their
infrastructures against cyber-attack.
GECI, a tactical cyber security specialist with a portfolio of
cyber security innovations developed by former Israeli cyber
defence unit experts, is now active in South Africa, focusing on
local utilities, mines, manufacturers and other industrial sites in
conjunction with local partner Sinac Group’s Nokuthula Mgwebile.
Bergen says that mines are starting to adopt IIoT and intelligent
automation across the entire pit-to-port chain, from autonomous
vehicles to robotic drilling, and all of these new technologies
are connected,” says Bergen. “Unless this new smart mine
environment is built on a foundation of industry-specific cyber
security, mines risk financial losses, threats to human health and
safety and even complete shutdown. With margins as tight as
they are, no mine can afford this risk,” he says.
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African Mining October 2019
Several South African companies are harnessing the power of
the internet of things (IoT) and information communications
technologies (ICT) to improve the measurement and
management of their carbon (CO 2 ) emissions.
First Technology Group is helping companies detect, monitor, measure
and control emissions.
this information in real-time to better inform their decision-
making,” Bezuidenhout says.
First Technology Group is a supplier of IoT, hosted cloud-based
technologies and hardware and software solutions. According
to Bezuidenhout the company has been getting an increasing
number of enquiries from local companies as to how it is able to
help them develop a robust solution to manage this risk.
The company’s IoT solution comprises smart sensors that
are equipped with transmitters that can be installed in most
industrial processes, such as mineral-beneficiation plants and
factories, to automatically detect CO 2 molecules.
This information is then transmitted to a central country-
managed repository where it is accurately recorded and
corroborated using First Technology Group’s Blockchain
technology. Meanwhile, the company’s Hosted Cloud-
based solutions enable the efficient processing, analysis and
visualisation of the wealth of information to better inform
decision making.
According to Michael Rundus, cyber security leader at EY Global
Mining & Metals, 54% of mining companies had experienced a
significant cyber incident in the past 12 months.
“Cyber risk has become such a major threat to the sector that EY
lists cyber risk among the top five business risks facing mining
and metals industry. And attacks on industrial facilities are
taking place all the time, costing industries billions.” For example,
Bergen notes the attack on Swiss/Belgian mining and metals
processor Nyrstar early this year, which shut down parts of its IT
systems across its operations. The losses were not disclosed. “This
is typical of many such attacks, the losses not being disclosed
or purposefully trivialised as ‘insignificant’ by the embarrassed
victims,” he says.
Norsk Hydro, an international aluminium, hydro and solar
power firm, fell victim to a cyber-attack that crippled
its computer networks in March this year. “Norsk Hydro
operations in some 50 countries were forced to revert to
manual operations and clip boards to conduct their business
for weeks leading to serious operational inefficiencies and
sales losses. This attack was launched through an employee
clicking on a phishing email triggering a relatively new strain of
ransomware called LockerGoga, and spread throughout all their
international operations centres, causing losses so far estimated
at EUR40-million. Such attacks are occurring and increasing
weekly,” says Bergen.
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