Anglo American Wins Award for HIV/AIDS Program
Anglo Coal South Africa, a subsidiary of Anglo American, has been recognized by the Global Business Coalition (GBC) on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for its pioneering workplace program focused on tackling HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Anglo American is South Africa’s leading private sector employer, with over 100,000 people employed at its operations.
The Business Excellence Award for Best Workplace Program will be presented to Ben Magara, CEO of Anglo Coal South Africa at an awards dinner in Washington D.C. The event was attended by global health leaders including senior Obama administration officials and representatives from UNAIDS, The World Health Organisation (WHO) and The Global Fund.
HIV and AIDS is having a major impact on millions of lives in Southern Africa and Anglo Coal estimates that some 1,300 of its 9,300 employees in the region are currently infected with HIV. This award has been given in recognition of the ground-breaking work the company does in South Africa with its comprehensive HIV/AIDS response for both employees and their families.
All Anglo Coal employees are actively encouraged to test annually, with senior members of the management team taking HIV tests in public to lead by example. Employees who test positive can enrol in a free HIV management program offering care, support and treatment. As a result of this response, the company has seen mass employee engagement on this issue and 94% of permanent workers have been HIV tested since the program began. Anglo Coal is now trending to have reduced the number of new infections to half what they were in 2005 by the end of 2009.
Anglo American was the first large company in South Africa to offer free anti-retroviral treatment to all employees back in 2002. There are currently 7,300 employees enrolled in the HIV disease management program across all Group companies in South Africa.
Mechel Ships Coking to China
Mechel OAO, one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, recently signed contracts to deliver coking and steam coal supplies to Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean companies for 2009. Having an established relationship with Japanese and South Korean customers, in 2009 the company also entered the Chinese coal market having signed a number of new large contracts with local customers.
The company has already shipped coking coal from its Yakutugol mine and steam coal of various grades to China.
“China is a very promising market for us. Its steel industry continues to develop fast resulting in stable high demand for our commodities: iron ore, coking coal, and ferroalloys,” said Vladimir Polin, senior vice president, Mechel.
The total amount of coal Mechel plans to supply these eastern Asian customers during the 2009 fiscal year amounts to 2 million tons of coking coal concentrate produced at Yakutugol and 2.3 million tons of steam coal of various grades produced at Yakutugol and Southern Kuzbass. Mechel also sells iron ore concentrate produced at its Korshunov facility to China.
NRG Energy Sells Its Stake in MIBRAG*
NRG Energy, Inc. sold its 50% ownership interest in mining company Mibrag B.V. for $260 million to a consortium of Severočeské doly Chomutov, the largest brown coal mining company in the Czech Republic and member of the CEZ Group, and J&T Group, a Czech Republic-based investment company. Mibrag B.V.’s principal holding is Mitteldeutsche Braunkohlengesellschaft mbH (MIBRAG), an integrated coal mining and power generating business located in central Germany. NRG continues to maintain its 41.9% interest in Schkopau, a 900-mw coal-fired power station located near Halle, Germany, which buys coal under a long-term contract from MIBRAG’s Profen mine.
Teck Secures Reduction in Rail Costs
Teck Resources successfully completed statutory rail rate arbitration proceedings with Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) regarding rates for westbound coal shipments from its five coking coal mines in southeast British Columbia to Westshore Terminals at Roberts Bank and Neptune Terminals in North Vancouver. As a result, Teck expects average transportation costs, including rail and port costs, to be in the range of $33 to $35 per metric ton (mt) for the 2009 calendar year, compared to $35/mt to $37/mt previously.
CNR Acquires Guizhou Dayun Mining
China Natural Resources (CNR) announced that, during July, it closed a deal to acquire Pineboom Investments and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including the Guizhou Dayun Mining Co., which owns a coal mine located in Jinsha County, Guizhou Province. “Pineboom is the second coal mine acquisition in our continued development of China Natural Resources’ coal business,” said Feilie Li, chairman and CEO, CNR. “We will continue our coal resources acquisition strategy in Guizhou Province, as well as our continued acquisition of other non-ferrous/iron metal assets.” In January CNR acquired Guizhou Yongfu Mining Co., which owned mining rights for the Yongsheng coal mine, located in the same region.
