The News Review:
- South Africa: Petrosa Increases Capacity At Coega Plant
- 1 dead in crane collapse at KC-area power plant
- Nikkei climbs boosted by construction and drugs
- KARACHI: World losing 50000 species every year seminar told
South Africa: Petrosa Increases Capacity At Coega Plant
AllAfrica.com – May 23, 2008
GA_googleFillSlot(“AllAfrica_Story_Inset”);The plant which will cost about $11 billion will have a capacity of 400 000 barrels a day rather than the previously proposed 250 000 barrels a day (kbpd). The board approved this increase on Thursday after evaluating the conclusions of a recently completed pre-feasibility study undertaken by a leading US-based refinery engineering company KBR. The Coega refinery (known as Project Mthombo) will be the lowest cost producer in sub-Sahara Africa. This is due to economies of scale proven world-class technologies and crude processing flexibility. "This will enable it to accomplish a balancing role and sustain a competitive advantage in open market conditions within both local and export environments while meeting the highest global standards of product quality and environmental responsibility" PetroSA Vice-President of New Venture: Midstream Joern Falbe said on Thursday… This is due to economies of scale proven world-class technologies and crude processing flexibility. "This will enable it to accomplish a balancing role and sustain a competitive advantage in open market conditions within both local and export environments while meeting the highest global standards of product quality and environmental responsibility" PetroSA Vice-President of New Venture: Midstream Joern Falbe said on Thursday. "The design configuration to process a wide spread of feedstock with prominence given to lower-cost heavy sour and acid crudes is the primary driver in maximising commerciality as well as security of supply. " By 2014 when the refinery is due to be commissioned South Africa will already be experiencing a shortfall of locally-refined product of about 200 000kbpd. This will be due to its projected economic growth and low investment in existing refineries. This shortfall will be met by importing product – an expensive solution that has a major impact on foreign exchange and increases potential supply vulnerability. PetroSA’s original base case of a 250kbpd crude refinery on the east coast of South Africa proved robustly attractive to meet the country’s medium term fuel growth requirements.
1 dead in crane collapse at KC-area power plant
Peoria Journal Star – May 23, 2008
The identities of the victims were not immediately released. KCPL construction project director Brent Davis said about 1800 contractors were on site but he did not know which company employed the victims. French engineering company Alstom is the principal contractor on the project. The Iatan power plant about 30 miles northwest of Kansas City near the Missouri River remained open but the construction site was shut down. KCPL officials did not expect the accident to delay completion of the new coal plant set for summer 2010. Two workers were killed at the plant May 9 2007 when a high-pressure water line ruptured. Two others also were burned when water in the pipe flashed to steam.
Nikkei climbs boosted by construction and drugs
Economic Times – May 23, 2008
6 per cent at 1387. CONSTRUCTION DRUGSChiyoda surged for a second straight day after CLSA lifted on Thursday itsrating on the plant engineering firm two notches to “outperform” from “sell”becoming one of the largest contributors to the Nikkei. It finishedthe morning at 1134 yen. Other strong construction performers were Kajima Corpwhich gained 3. 8 per cent to 412 yen and Tekken Corp which rose 5. 2 per centto 121 yen.
KARACHI: World losing 50000 species every year seminar told
Pakistan Dawn – May 23, 2008
The efforts aimed at the preservation of diversity of life are in fact the battle of our own very survival. This was the gist of the speeches made at the seminar titled “Strategies for Plant Biodiversity Conservation” held at the University of Karachi on Thursday to mark the World Biodiversity Day. The event was jointly organised by the KU’s Centre of Plant Conservation its Department of Botany and the Federal Urdu University of Arts Science and Technology (Fuuast). Stressing the need for a biodiversity action plan Fuuast Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Qaiser said issues like global warming and swift changes taking place in the environment had forced many countries to develop their respective strategies for conservation of biodiversity. Pakistan however lagged far behind in the goal since it didn’t even have a reliable data on the status of plant and animal species. “The conservation status of most plant and animal species is not known. In fact many species remain unidentified… The other speakers included KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui A. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering head Dr Irtifaq Ali Centre for Plant Conservation Director Dr Anjum Perveen Prof Surayya Khatoon Prof Moinuddin Ahmed Assistant Prof Haider Abbas Mr Jan Alam and Mr Haider Ali.