CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (SHE)

Environmental performance

This section deals with current operations. Data do not include waste arisings from remediation activities, nor AEL’s operations outside of Modderfontein.

Hazardous waste arisings from Group operations decreased substantially from 6 221 tons in 2006 to 4 476 tons. Three main factors contributed to this: only nine months of Dulux's operations, a major contributor in the past, are reflected in 2007's figures; SANS tightened the controls over its waste disposal area; and AEL closed a capped fuse plant and reduced safety fuse production early in 2007.

Group water usage rose by 12 per cent to 4 767 000 kilolitres (Kl). The two main contributors to this were AEL and Chemserve. AEL's consumption rose to 2 028 000 Kl, largely as a result of the need to run older manufacturing plants in parallel with new ones, as the latter were being commissioned. SANS had previously committed to a 15 per cent reduction in water usage but was unable to achieve this. Due to business reasons, as discussed elsewhere in this annual report, the Group deemed it inadvisable to spend the capital required for the planned water saving project.

Group energy consumption rose by 7 per cent, compared with 2006. The majority of this increase occurred at Heartland Leasing (Umbogintwini), as a direct result of site tenants increasing their demand for steam. SANS used 3 per cent less energy during the year, associated with a decrease in production rates. Load-shedding led to SANS using 8 per cent less electricity but this was offset by increased heavy fuel oil usage. AEL's total energy consumption rose by 2 per cent, again as a result of the need to run old and new plants concurrently. Chemserve's energy consumption rose by 15 per cent. After the year-end, the Group's electricity consumption decreased by 24 per cent owing to closures at SANS. Historically, SANS's operations were the largest users of electricity in the AECI Group.