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Thursday, November 20, 2008.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

On Thursday, diversified miner BHP Billiton and retailer Woolworths were named as two companies with "outstanding" climate change-related disclosure practices. They head the JSE Top 100's Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index in their respective categories.

BHP Billiton came in ahead of a grouping of other miners and industrial groups in the carbon-intensive sector. The miner operates electricity-heavy aluminium smelters in South Africa. Woolworths led the low-carbon sector.

The assessment was based on the quality of information disclosed by companies in response to the larger Carbon Disclosure Project 2008 questionnaire. The questionnaire canvassed the JSE's hundred largest companies on how they were addressing climate change-related issues.

General Electric has installed a new 280 MW power plant at Sasol's Secunda coal-to-fuels facility in South Africa. The plant could help ease the country's energy crisis.

It is the first such installation in South Africa of GE Energy's gas turbines, and will provide power for the production of Sasol's synthetic fuels. Excess electricity will be sold to State-owned power utility Eskom.

GE Energy Africa Region Executive Mark Digby said the new Secunda plant would enable Sasol to increase its on-site power generation capacity while also reducing electricity demand on Eskom.

Also making headlines:

Vodafone says Nigeria could be an interesting market.
The DBSA says that sustained public investment is required to boost growth and ease poverty.
Sasol is still pursuing its growth investments, but it might review some projects.
And, Zambia's central bank says that 7% GDP growth is unlikely for 2008.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit engineeringnews.co.za.

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