ESKOM has welcomed AngloGold Ashanti’s decision to partner on 49M, the country’s energy saving movement becoming the 49th business partner to join the energy efficiency drive. The 49M campaign is aimed at spurring South Africans to save electricity, given the country’s constrained power system, and has been endorsed by government and the business community.

The mining industry is one of the leading consumers of electricity and Eskom’s CEO, Brian Dames, welcomed the measures which AngloGold Ashanti has implemented to reduce energy consumption within their operations. “They have provided a model of energy efficiency which others can follow, helping to alleviate the load on our country’s power,”Dames said.

AngloGold Ashanti’s chief executive officer, Mark Cutifani, said the company was fully behind the 49M initiative and its objective of encouraging energy efficiency. Cutifani called the initiative a timely intervention, given the energy challenges the country is facing adding that AngloGold will drive the desired behavioural changes by partnering with staff, and also host communities and schools in the areas AngloGold operates.

The company will also support municipalities in which it hosts its operations to install smart metering, enabling better control of power use and reducing losses to municipalities. AngloGold Ashanti noted that it was a major consumer of electricity and fuels in light of the fact that South Africa needs to reduce its energy consumption by 10% in the next five years. “As a result, reducing our energy footprint would mean a lower impact on climate change from our operations and reduced costs,” Cutifani said.

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