Embracing TECHNOLOGY
Innovative Power
devices need to
tackle drought
related electricity
constraints
roughout the Southern Africa
Power Po ol – w here Angol a,
Democratic Republic of Congo,
Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia,
Z ambia and Z imbabwe rely on
hydropower for 71 to 99 percent of
their electric generation, widespread
drought has signi cantly reduced the
region's ability to generate electricity.
e mining sector has been among the
hardest hit by the dramatic decrease in
hydropower, and unless something is
done to address the need for power
supply to the region's mines, these
countries and their mining companies
will face further economic hardships.
“e current drought has underscored
the vulnerability of Southern Africa's
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| May - June 2016
mining sector and the region's
economy, with such a heavy reliance
on intermittent sources of electricity
such as hydropower,” says Paul
Marcro, APR Energy Director of
Sales Operations and Strategic
Planning.
To make matters worse, the annual
rainy season that normally runs from
October through April did not begin
this year until late February. While rain
will eventually fall and water levels will
rise across Southern Africa, the more
systemic problem of an inadequate and
unreliable power infrastructure will
continue to hamper the mining
industry.
“A lack of reliable electricity is
| FMDZ
unacceptable in an industry where
lives depend on uninterrupted power
for essential processes like ventilation
and dewatering,” says Marcro.
“Beyond safety, a constant ow of
electricity is required so smelters don't
go cold, allowing molten metals to
solidify inside extremely expensive
processing equipment.”
Marcro points to Zambia, Africa's
second-largest copper producer, as a
microcosm of what the mining
industry faces throughout the region.
“Zambia's mines consume more than
half of the country's power and are now
being charged an increased tariff for
electricity, resulting in increased
operational costs and decreased