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L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

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coal mixture <strong>of</strong> a new generation. This is reported to be equivalent<br />

to liquid fuel.<br />

The former Soviet Union made attempts to develop liquefied<br />

coal <strong>and</strong> it even had a 300-kilometer-long liquefied coal pipeline in<br />

Siberia to supply fuel to a thermal power station. But this technology<br />

proved to be too costly since it consumes 150 kilowatt hours to<br />

make a ton <strong>of</strong> fuel. The new technology developed by “Kompomash”<br />

consumes only 20 kilowatt hours. Initially, coal is processed<br />

mechanically <strong>and</strong> chemically to upgrade its combustion reaction.<br />

Ordinary coal emits black smoke during combustion owing to<br />

unburned carbon black <strong>and</strong> dust, while liquefied coal burns completely<br />

<strong>and</strong> emits white smoke <strong>and</strong> does not pollute the environment<br />

with hard particles. The liquefied coal does not emit carbon monoxide<br />

at all, <strong>and</strong> the content <strong>of</strong> carbon black <strong>and</strong> nitrogen oxides in the<br />

residues <strong>of</strong> combustion is ten times less than minimum st<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />

This technology is competitive.<br />

South <strong>Africa</strong>n, US, or Chinese technologies are believed not<br />

to have achieved the same fine milling level as the Russian one<br />

(namely, a medium grain size <strong>of</strong> 0.7–0.8 microns). Consequently,<br />

there is no carbon dioxide emission since the fuel burns completely.<br />

Foreign technologies have failed to achieve this. Besides<br />

that, Russia uses advanced milling technology that consumes less<br />

energy.<br />

In 2010, in Tianjin, Russia’s “INTER RAO” Company <strong>and</strong><br />

China’s state-run “Shenhua” Corporation signed a memor<strong>and</strong>um on<br />

the construction <strong>of</strong> a factory to produce liquefied coal fuel in Russia.<br />

The factory will be build near the Chinese border <strong>and</strong> the company is<br />

exploring coal mines the products <strong>of</strong> which meet the technological<br />

dem<strong>and</strong>s. The cost <strong>of</strong> the factory is estimated at one billion U.S. dollars.<br />

47<br />

President Zuma’s visit to <strong>Russia's</strong> in August 2010 gave new impetus<br />

to bilateral cooperation. The delegation accompanying Mr.<br />

Zuma included 11 Ministers <strong>and</strong> over 100 business leaders. These<br />

interactions were critical for South <strong>Africa</strong>'s key domestic priorities,<br />

as well as for <strong>Russia's</strong> economic modernization <strong>and</strong> diversification<br />

policy priorities. During the 9th Joint South <strong>Africa</strong>n-Russian Inter-<br />

199

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