|
South Africa produces in excess of 255 million tonnes of coal (2011 estimate) and consumes almost three quarters of that domestically.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title= Production and consumption of coal (2003 estimates) )〕 Around 77% of South Africa's energy needs are directly derived from coal〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Coal )〕 and 92% of coal consumed on the African continent is produced in South Africa.〔 The use of coal in South Africa dates back to the iron age (300-1880 AD), when charcoal was used to melt iron and copper, but large-scale exploitation of coal did not occur until the mid-19th century. ==Geology== The largest coal deposits in South Africa are to be found in the Ecca deposits, a stratum of the Karoo Supergroup, dating from the Permian period, between 280 and 250 Ma. The Ecca Group is extensive, covering around two thirds of South Africa (much of it covered by slightly younger rocks - see diagram on the left). Only the northern and north-eastern portion of these Ecca deposits is coal-bearing, but it nevertheless contains more than a third of all coal reserves in the Southern Hemisphere.〔〔Schlüter & Trauth 2006, p. 214〕 Notable coalfields are: * Waterberg Coalfield〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=About SA coalfields )〕 * Highveld Coalfield〔 * Witbank Coalfield〔 * Ermelo Coalfield〔 * Utrecht Coalfield〔 * Klip River Coalfield〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Coal in South Africa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|