After unknown saboteurs toppled a strategic pylon near Lethabo Power Station in the Free State in November 2021, almost causing the country to plunge into stage 6 load shedding, Eskom’s chief executive officer André de Ruyter declared: ‘This was clearly now an act of sabotage and I think we can call it as such.’ Who was behind this, and what is their ultimate goal?

Since his appointment in January 2020, De Ruyter has faced intense opposition from within the power utility as he attempts to clean up corruption and return the electricity company to a semblance of its former glory. He is not alone. Chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer and other trusted allies in Eskom have also come under intense fire. From forensic investigations and botched probes to accusations of racism, De Ruyter and Oberholzer have spent significant amounts of time fending off allegation after allegation. Amid this onslaught, it has become clear that their enemies will take any measures necessary to have them removed from office.

Based on exclusive interviews with De Ruyter, Oberholzer and other key figures, Sabotage is a story of conspiracy and subterfuge at South Africa’s ailing power utility, uncovering the power struggles that threaten the country’s very survival.

The winner of the 2017 Ernest Cole Award is Daylin Paul for his project, Broken Land. The project explores the other side of power. Set in Mpumalanga, home of 46% of South Africa's arable soil, it is also the area where nine power-burning coal stations are active. Paul's work explores the direct impact of fuel-burning coal stations on the local economy, population, farming community and, more broadly, climate change. As Paul says, "These power stations, while providing electricity for an energy-desperate South Africa, also have a devastating and lasting impact on the environment and the health of local people. Mining licences granted conditionally by the South African government are meant to safeguard the ecology and allow local people to benefit from the mineral wealth of the land. But it is clear that these conditions are not being followed and that the health and economic well-being of both the land and its people are being jeopardised. Vast tracts of fertile, arable land are being ripped up, the landscape scarred with the black pits of coal mines while coal-burning power stations are one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the world." The polluting power stations not only contribute to global climate change but, through toxic sulphur effluents, also to the poisoning of scarce water supplies for a range of communities who are dependent on these for their survival. The area has in recent years also been hit by devastating droughts. The power dynamics in the area have in recent times been drawn into the national political arena. The former Glencore coal mines, taken over by Optimum Coal Holdings Limited, a conglomerate owned by the Gupta family, are embroiled in corruption and nepotism scandals that are affecting the very highest levels of the South African government. The aim of Paul's project as he says is "to look at both the macro issues like pollution, poverty and climate change while also personalising the experience of the local people who are on the front lines of this crisis and provide us with a glimpse of what the future could be like for the country and indeed the SADC region."

Africa's leading producer of electricity, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, is also a vertically integrated monopoly, owned by the South African state. This national champion was shaken in 2008, when it was obliged to introduce 'load shedding', or rolling blackouts, and again in late 2014. Trying to understand how and why one of the iconic pillars of South African state capitalism is now in distress, the authors of this book argue that the so-called electricity crisis is in fact a public monopoly crisis.

Moving beyond technical aspects, they explore the relationship between state power and Eskom before, during and after apartheid. From this perspective, they suggest that the current technical and financial troubles of this public utility are illustrative of the weakening of its technopolitical regime, of how national institutions have governed Eskom's technological development, and of the pursuit of political goals in the production of electrical power. Without a clear industrial strategy during the 2000s, Eskom became a powerful tool of Broad-Black Economic Empowerment as well as a neopatrimonial system which generates profits captured by the ruling party. As a result, crisis in Eskom shakes the whole political edifice. Inefficient and its finances increasingly under scrutiny, this state-owned enterprise's existence as a monopolistic public utility is regularly a subject of debate.

The authors discuss the ambivalent role of Eskom in the national energy transition policy and whether solutions point in the direction of de-integrating this public monopoly and allowing its current technopolitical regime to enter a planned or natural decline.

Capture, massive deception and devastating human consequences still felt today… Legal journalist Dianne Hawker delves deep to retell the full Aurora story.

In October 2009, Aurora Empowerment Systems – a black-owned, politically connected business – made a bid to rescue the liquidated Pamodzi Gold mines.

Former President Jacob Zuma's nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, his lawyer Michael Hulley and former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Zondwa Mandela, were listed as directors of Aurora. On paper the company looked almost too good to be true – promising to turn the mines into a new business that would offer stellar benefits to workers, while also expanding into Africa. Soon after the acquisition, the first cracks appeared. More than 5 000 workers and suppliers, who depended on their employment to keep themselves and their families alive, went unpaid. Over the next few years, Aurora-managed mines were stripped of assets, as illicit payments went to the families of the “connected”, while workers starved.

Despite a litany of evidence of Aurora’s dishonesty, to this day little has been done to bring the perpetrators to book.

South Africa's Bomb kept the world guessing for years. Six-and-a- half nuclear bombs had been secretly built and destroyed, former South African President F.W. de Klerk announced in 1993. No other country has ever voluntarily destroyed its nuclear arsenal.

From 1975 Nic von Wielligh was involved in the production of nuclear weapons material, the dismantling of the nuclear weapons and the provision of evidence of South Africa's bona fides to the international community. The International Atomic Energy Agency declared South Africa's Initial Report to be the most comprehensive and professional that they had ever received. In this book the nuclear physicist and his daughter Lydia von Wielligh-Steyn tell the gripping story of the splitting of the atom and the power it releases. It is an account of ground-breaking research and the scientists responsible; it deals with uranium enrichment, the arms race and South Africa's secret programme.

The Bomb: South Africa's Nuclear Programme is a story of nuclear explosions, espionage, smuggling of nuclear materials and swords that became ploughshares.

Award-winning investigative journalist Karyn Maughan and former National Treasury insider Kirsten Pearson reveal the inside story behind South Africa's controversial nuclear deal.

Through insider accounts, audio recordings and confidential minutes, the authors piece together the Zuma administration's secret dealings with Russia and how it went to extraordinary and dark lengths to conclude the nuke before Zuma's time ran out.

As the global climate changes, scientists anticipate that the distribution of animal populations and disease vectors will expand. In the case of arthropods, such efforts hold immense significance as they have the potential to increase human mortality and suffering from arboviruses above current levels. The 238th American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. on August 16-20, 2009, offered an opportunity for researchers to present and discuss new findings in invertebrate repellents research, regulations, and technology development. Recently efforts have been made to understand the role of chemicals in arthropod behavior, and screening programs are starting to incorporate repellency testing into their battery of bioassays. The lack of standardized protocols for measuring and comparison of repellents has remained a significant obstacle in arthropod research. Oftentimes studies report variable measures of success, and comparison of results across studies is not always consistent. Progress in the standardization of arthropod test methods for repellents would be valuable to many groups including academic researchers working in the field, contract labs supplying test results, government research laboratories, regulatory bodies in the process of developing guidelines for product registration, as well as companies looking to invest in new technologies. Perhaps one complicating factor in this process has been that research and technology haven't moved fast enough to meet the demand for effective arthropod repellents. Issues such as pest arthropod resurgence and insecticide/repellent resistance to chemical can create new challenges and add pressure for researchers. The collection of chapters in this book covers a range of applied and basic research on arthropod repellents. An overview of the state of arthropod repellents research is provided at the start. In the chapters that follow, there is a selection of papers demonstrating research on new repellent technologies at different stages of development. The scope of basic and applied research methods described in these chapters on new repellent technologies presents the range of testing that is often necessary to move a repellent technology forward in development. The transition from newly developed technologies to registered products is achieved in perspective of a growing market for natural arthropod repellents. New technologies that are completely developed and have gone through registration need to be accompanied by successful commercialization. The growing market for natural arthropod repellents presents such an example and highlights new opportunities in this area. The concluding chapter discusses the public entomology landscape, past and future opportunities for the development of chemical protectants.

Winds of Change examines the global development of the wind energy industry from a political, social movements-based perspective. It argues the wind energy industry developed successfully in certain regions and countries in large part because the environmental movement influenced its growth. Vasi then defines and analyses the three main pathways through which the environmental movement has contributed to industry growth: it has influenced the adoption and implementation of renewable energy policies, it has created consumer demand for clean energy, and it has changed the institutional logics of the energy sector. The book uses quantitative analysis to present the big picture of the global development of the wind energy industry, then draws on qualitative analyses to understand why countries such as Germany, Denmark, or Spain are world leaders in wind energy, while other countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada have a somewhat underdeveloped wind power industry. It also analyzes how the environmental movement contributed to the recent growth of the market for renewable energy certificates in the United States. The book also examines the remarkable transformation of the electricity sector in different countries, showing how environmentalists in Germany, Denmark, United States and United Kingdom contributed to wind turbine manufacturing by becoming entrepreneurs, innovators, and/or advocates, and, furthermore, how environmental groups and activists formed new companies that specialize in wind-farm development and operation, and pressured utility companies to invest in renewable energy by using tactics such as protests, lawsuits, and lobbying for stricter regulation. In conclusion, Vasi presents the main implications for future studies on industry development and social movement outcomes, as well as for the future growth of the renewable energy sector.

With twenty-two chapters written by leading international experts, this volume represents the most detailed and comprehensive Handbook on electricity markets ever published. It covers all dimensions of electricity markets: wholesale and retail; renewable electricity sources; the electrification of mobility, heating and cooling; and recent innovations such as distributed generation, electrical energy storage, demand response and digital platforms that are disrupting the industry. The benefits, as well as the limits, of open markets and competition are assessed at the level of underlying principles and with reference to specific cases, including the UK, PJM Interconnection, Texas, Australia, Scandinavia, continental Europe and China. The details of electricity market designs are analysed and discussed. The book also considers new emerging business models, as well as the impact of electricity sector policy priorities such as universal access and deep decarbonization. This Handbook is intended to be used and useful. Students and young professionals will find the information they need to enter the field. Researchers, experienced professionals and public decision-makers will get a comprehensive update on the topical issues in electricity markets that will guide them through the important developments the sector is witnessing.

Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions and New Energy is a summary of selected experimental and theoretical research performed over the last 19 years that gives profound and unambiguous evidence for low energy nuclear reaction (LENR), historically known as cold fusion.
In 1989, the subject was announced with great fanfare, to the chagrin of many people in the science community. However, the significant claim of its discoverers, Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, excess heat without harmful neutron emissions or strong gamma radiation, involving electrochemical cells using heavy water and palladium, has held strong.
In recent years, LENR, within the field of condensed matter nuclear science, has begun to attract widespread attention and is regarded as a potential alternative and renewable energy source to confront climate change and energy scarcity. The aim of the research is to collect experimental findings for LENR in order to present reasonable explanations and a conclusive theoretical and practical working model.
The goal of the field is directed toward the fabrication of LENR devices with unique commercial potential demonstrating an alternative energy source that does not produce greenhouse gases, long-lived radiation or strong prompt radiation. The idea of LENR has led to endless discussions about the kinetic impossibility of intense nuclear reactions with high coulomb barrier potential. However, recent theoretical work may soon shed light on this mystery.
Understanding this process is one of the most challenging and perhaps important issues in the scientific world. This book includes previously unpublished studies, new and controversial theories to approach LENR with access to new sources and experimental results. The book offers insight into this controversial subject and will help readers re-evaluate their perspective on LENR as a possible alternative energy source.

Bunkers are the lifeblood of the shipping industry - their availability, quality and, above all else, cost often determine whether a shipowner can operate efficiently and profitably. Cockett on Bunkers provides those involved in the shipping and oil industries with an understanding of the worldwide bunker fuel industry and a comprehensive manual that can be used as a reference in day-to-day bunker management and operation. Cockett on Bunkers contains up-to-date information on marine fuel standards and monitoring services, bunker buying techniques, bunker suppliers and the art of blending, pricing and bunkering operational procedures and takes into account recent developments in these areas.;Written in an accessible style with the emphasis on practical interpretation.

Part of the ""Carriage by Sea"" series, this second edition contains statistical information on coal consumption, production and trade, including comparative statistics by geographical area, together with full analysis. The carriage of coal by sea, including the specifications and problems of vessels used to carry coal, terminal operations and charterparties are also covered, as are some of the most frequently arising claims and preventative measures. The book is suitable for companies involved in the coal trades, including shipowners, operators, charterers, managers, shipbuilders and coal exporters and importers.

Modern society too often views water as a convenient vehicle for disposing of waste and the results are becoming increasingly apparent. Analysis of freshwater supplies frequently reveals disturbing levels of pollution, including human waste, heavy metals and synthetic chemicals, to the detriment of our health, and the health of entire ecosystems. The Water Crisis examines the roots of freshwater pollution urbanization, industrialization and intensive farming supported by case studies from the Rhine and the Great Lakes. It explores the impact of major pollutants and discusses methods of prevention. The final section provides a detailed overview of possible solutions, including soil-based treatment systems and constructed wetlands. A separate chapter is devoted to the important issue of groundwater pollution. Practical concise and accessible, this is ideal for students in environmental studies and environmental science, biology and geography, and general readers. Originally published in 1998

The oil and gas industry's wide international exposure and constantly changing landscape leave it particularly vulnerable to disputes. As this practical book demonstrates, the risks associated with disputes can be mitigated by parties utilising governing law and dispute resolution clauses in contractual agreements within the sector. Examining a global range of jurisdictions, the book offers clear guidance on the most appropriate choice of law and choice of dispute resolution forum for oil and gas contracts, analysing the key issues and defining the legal contours involved. Key Features: Insightful contributions from over 40 leading practitioners and expert legal scholars Examination of domestic and international case law, with analysis of the local laws of 24 jurisdictions globally Consideration of the future of disputes in the oil and gas industry by tracking the evolution and latest trends of the global energy market Examination of the dispute resolution mechanisms used to mitigate disputes, with a focus on international arbitration as a forum for dispute resolution Discussions of a range of operations in the oil and gas industry, including upstream, midstream and downstream projects, and the various contracts that exist within these Featuring a comparative and practice-oriented perspective, this highly informative book will prove an essential resource for practitioners advising parties concerning contractual agreements in the oil and gas sector, as well as a valuable reference point for scholars of energy law and arbitration.

The modern world is built on commodities - from the oil that fuels our cars to the metals that power our smartphones. We rarely stop to consider where they have come from. But we should.

The World for Sale lifts the lid on one of the least scrutinized corners of the world economy: the billionaire commodity traders who buy, hoard, and sell the earth's resources. It is the story of how a handful of swashbuckling businessmen became indispensable cogs in global markets, enabling an enormous expansion in international trade and connecting resource-rich countries - no matter how corrupt or war-torn - with the world's financial centers.

The result is an eye-opening tour through the wildest frontiers of the global economy, as well as a revelatory guide to how capitalism really works.

Historians investigate the relationships between film, culture, and energy. American Energy Cinema explores how Hollywood movies have portrayed energy from the early film era to the present. Looking at classics like Giant, Silkwood, There Will Be Blood, and Matewan, and at quirkier fare like A Is for Atom and Convoy, it argues that films have both reflected existing beliefs and conjured new visions for Americans about the role of energy in their lives and their history. The essays in this collection show how film provides a unique and informative lens to understand perceptions of energy production, consumption, and infrastructure networks. By placing films that prominently feature energy within historical context and analyzing them as historical objects, the contributing authors demonstrate how energy systems of all kinds are both integral to the daily life of Americans and inextricable from larger societal changes and global politics.

Renewable energy technologies produce many measurable benefits, such as a clear reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is also apparent that these methods of energy production come with costs. Discussing renewable energy developments within an economic context, this pertinent Handbook provides a comprehensive view of the present and future dimensions of renewable energy use. Divided into six authoritative parts, the Handbook employs economic evaluation to provide an analysis of the benefits and costs of renewable energy, allowing authors to extrapolate potential policy changes. Chapters address the conceptual, methodological and empirical dimensions of renewable energy, providing a broad coverage of key topics while maintaining a clear policy-oriented philosophy. With a structured application of energy economics to renewable energy issues, this enlightening Handbook will be beneficial for environmental and energy policy makers. It will also be an interesting read for academics within such fields as policy regulation, energy economics and environmental economics.

This innovative book explores the legal character of petroleum licences, a key vehicle governing the relationship between oil companies and their host states. Examining the issue through the lens of legal culture, it illustrates why some jurisdictions exert strong state control and others only minimal.Critically investigating the nature of a petroleum licence, the book analyses whether it is a mere administrative right, a contract or something more akin to property rights. Chapters examine recent developments, such as the UK's strategy of maximizing economic recovery and the opposition to drilling for oil in Norway and Australia. Outside of Western petroleum jurisdictions, the book also explores several long-established jurisdictions including Russia and Mexico, as well as emerging jurisdictions, such as China and Uganda. Taking a contextual and system-oriented approach, it reveals the preconditions of the petroleum licence regime and offers a critical insight into the reasons behind alterations to the terms of the licences. Encompassing a wide variety of legal cultures and experiences, this thought-provoking book will prove to be a valuable resource for academics and students of energy law, particularly those with an interest in state regulation. It will also provide useful insights for industry-based practitioners.

First published as "Tracks: The Cv" work directory in 1997, the tenth revised and updated edition is published in 2006. It gives information of over 130 professions in the UK, organised in eight booklets, from communications media to service industries. Titles include pathways in the arts, construction industry, financial services, health care, insurance, land and sea work, law, leisure and tourism, local government, manufacturing crafts, marketing, planning and public services. Qualifications are listed from GCSE and NVQ/BTEC to degree level. There are work descriptions and pay scales with interviews and advice from British chartered institutes and individuals established in the particular field. Designed in an easy to access format of a page per profession, the handbooks also include contacts for working in countries in the European Union, and a detailed index of internet recruitment sites for each sector. "Tracks 8" provides information about national and personal services which range from the armed forces to fire fighter, hairdressing and call centre work. The wide scope indicates the varied opportunities for individual development.

Today there is increasing pressure on the water infrastructure and although unsustainable water extraction and wastewater handling can continue for a while, at some point water needs to be managed in a way that is sustainable in the long-term. We need to handle water utilities "smarter". New and effective tools and technologies are becoming available at an affordable cost and these technologies are steadily changing water infrastructure options. The quality and robustness of sensors are increasing rapidly and their reliability makes the automatic handling of critical processes viable. Online and real-time control means safer and more effective operation. The combination of better sensors and new water treatment technologies is a strong enabler for decentralised and diversified water treatment. Plants can be run with a minimum of personnel attendance. In the future, thousands of sensors in the water utility cycle will handle all the complexity in an effective way. Smart Water Utilities: Complexity Made Simple provides a framework for Smart Water Utilities based on an M-A-D (Measurement-Analysis-Decision). This enables the organisation and implementation of "Smart" in a water utility by providing an overview of supporting technologies and methods. The book presents an introduction to methods and tools, providing a perspective of what can and could be achieved. It provides a toolbox for all water challenges and is essential reading for the Water Utility Manager, Engineer and Director and for Consultants, Designers and Researchers.

This publication sets out the challenge for freshwater in a changing climate and provides policy guidance on how to navigate this new "waterscape". It examines the range and complexity of possible changes in the water cycle and the challenges of making practical, on-site adaptation decisions for water. It offers policymakers a risk-based framework and guidance to "know", "cap" and "manage" water risks in order to provide flexibility and improve decisions despite the lack of reliable predictions. It draws insights from a stock take of current policy efforts to adapt water systems across all 34 member countries and the European Union, including water-related aspects of National Adaptation Plans and Strategies, specific policy measures, and financing programmes. Finally, the report examines the use of economic instruments to promote adaptation (e.g. insurance schemes, water markets and banks, water pricing), incentives for 'green' infrastructure and ecosystem-based approaches, and financing issues.

Recognizing the urgent need to transform energy systems to low-carbon alternatives, this timely book offers evidenced and credible ways to accelerate actions towards meeting the Paris Agreement goals and achieving net zero emissions. Steven Fries analyses through the lens of government, business and household actions-their policies and investments-the systemic changes needed to eliminate net carbon dioxide emissions from energy. Fries explores how advancing low-carbon alternatives could maintain current economic activities while halting climate impacts. But his analysis of accumulating evidence on transforming energy shows how multiple market imperfections hold back alternatives. To overcome these barriers, the book develops heterodox energy reform strategies and ways to coordinate actions across countries, recognizing differences in their specializations and renewable resources. Going beyond orthodox economics, it sets out the role for supporting deployment of low-carbon alternatives in initial markets, calibrating emissions pricing to net zero emission goals, and adapting institutions and infrastructures to low-carbon alternatives. It also signposts policy sequencing and differentiation across sectors and countries. Providing comprehensive energy policy assessments and sound reform strategies, this book will be essential reading for government policymakers and business investors. Its rigorous approach to systemic change also makes it a valuable reference for energy economics and environmental economics scholars.