Following extensive research into mine health and safety fatalities by the Leon Commission in 1996, the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) was established as an organ of state. The study focuses on the relationship between strategic planning and budgeting and how well these concepts are implemented within the MQA. The study found that there is definite alignment between the budgeting and strategic planning processes of the MQA. The strategic planning process in the MQA is well-formulated through an annual strategic planning session. The strategy identified is that Board and Committee members with no financial management experience should attend the training course specifically developed by the University of South Africa (Unisa), namely “Roles of a board in the management of public entities” and the MQA should play a more central role in health and safety through the development of health and safety programmes aimed at reducing fatalities. / Thesis (M. Tech. (Public Management))

Following extensive research into mine health and safety fatalities by the Leon Commission in 1996, the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) was established as an organ of state. The study focuses on the relationship between strategic planning and budgeting and how well these concepts are implemented within the MQA. The study found that there is definite alignment between the budgeting and strategic planning processes of the MQA. The strategic planning process in the MQA is well-formulated through an annual strategic planning session. The strategy identified is that Board and Committee members with no financial management experience should attend the training course specifically developed by the University of South Africa (Unisa), namely “Roles of a board in the management of public entities” and the MQA should play a more central role in health and safety through the development of health and safety programmes aimed at reducing fatalities. / Thesis (M. Tech. (Public Management))

The average global temperature is rising due to climate change. This leads to an increase in cooling demand along with higher usage of electricity to operate cooling processes. One way to decrease the electricity usage is to introduce absorption cooling which uses heat instead of electricity as its main source of power. To further increase resource efficiency in urban areas centralized district cooling can substitute independent cooling units. In a district cooling network, a mixture of absorption and compressor cooling units, as well as free cooling, can be included. This enables the ability to coordinate which cooling technology is to be used based on profitability at the current time. By introducing an optimization-based plan, the operation of a district cooling network in a smart energy system can incorporate important factors for the interaction between different sectors, such as electricity and district heating prices. The usage of optimization-based tools to plan the operation of energy systems has previously shown promising results. However, further studies are needed to investigate how they perform in different scenarios. There is also a need to develope more reliable forecasts which motivated this study; a case study on the district cooling network "City" in Linköping.  The study aimed to develope a method for forecasting the cooling demand in a district cooling network, investigating how the coordination of absorption and compressor cooling units, as well as free cooling, can be improved. This has been done from a system perspective that encompasses the district heating and electricity network by developing an optimization-based operational plan. In this study an explorative method has been used to develope a forecasting tool based on an algorithm and a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model with appertaining constraints and coefficients which can solve an Unit Commitment problem for a district cooling network. The forecasting tool and MILP model resulted in an optimization-based operational plan that enabled the ability to coordinate the usage between absorption and compressor cooling units as well as free cooling. The method can be divided into five distinct iterative steps; (1) data collection for the parameters that affect the cooling demand, (2) forecasting of the cooling demand based on the identified parameters, (3) pressure simulations of Linköping's district cooling network in the software NetSim, (4) operational optimization via MILP modeling, and (5) evaluation of the optimization-based operational plan from the perspective of operational cost, electricity and heat usage, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Six different algorithms were developed to forecast the cooling demand. All of the algorithms were based on the retrospective operation the previous day through linear regressions. The algorithm that best followed a historical operational period on the district cooling network City had a margin of error of 14\%. The algorithm was based on the time of the day and either solar irradiation or outside temperature based on the difference between the forecasted outdoor temperature and the measured temperature the previous day. The MILP model that was developed had an objective function that minimized the operational cost which included the cost of electricity and heat usage, distribution, maintenance, and start-up and shut-down costs. The constraints that was constructed in the MILP model to define a district cooling network included balancing the cooling demand, specifications for the operation of cooling units and distribution flows. Furthermore, the coefficients that defined the City network were estimated dynamically. These included power limitations, operational costs, and start-up costs for each cooling unit, as well as distribution costs for each cooling plant.  During this case-study, it was observed that by using optimization-based operational planning produced from a MILP model solving an UC problem, the operational costs, electricity and heat usage can decrease by 27\%, 22\%, and 2\% respectively for this case-study of the City network in Linköping during a seven-month period. In addition, a decrease in greenhouse gases by 16\% was observed when applying the perspective "avoided global emissions". For the calculations an emission factor of 702 $gram \, CO_2-eq/kWh_{el}$ and 130, 72, or 3 $gram \, CO_2-eq/kWh_{heat}$ depending on if waste, bio-oil, or recycled waste wood were used as fuel for the marginal production of district heating. When there was excess heat in the district heating network the emission factor for heat usage was instead assumed to be 0 $gram \, CO_2-eq/kWh_{heat}$. Lastly, this case-study emphasizes the importance of solid operational planning as a foundational pillar in satisfying the increase of future cooling demand in a resource-efficient way for local energy systems in sustainable societies.

The growing need of grid stability derived from the current energy transition is favouring the expansion of the ancillary services markets. Thanks to their fast response, this situation can be exploited by different kinds of batteries, even by those that were initially designed for a different application. However, each regulation product presents different market rules that are also country dependent. For this reason, it is important to ensure that the batteries in question count on the right characteristics. This project is focused on an energy storage system conceived for a number of applications not including ancillary services. With the aim of determining if that battery could find a new revenue stream in balancing markets, a study of the most relevant frequency markets has been conducted. After identifying those in which the battery could take part according to its technical features, a mathematical model has been developed. The model provides the optimal bidding strategy for the day ahead auctions of the selected markets and the most convenient operational planning for the day of delivery. Thanks to the model, the battery has been proved to be able to make profits from participating in the Swedish Frequency Containment Reserve (FCR) markets while it is not being occupied in its main intended applications. Furthermore, it will be possible to increase those profits by competing in the Swedish Fast Frequency Reserve (FFR) market, once the daily auctions are implemented. / Balanstjänster är en växande marknad i de utvecklade länderna på grund av det växande behovet av nätstabilitet orsakat av den nuvarande energiomställningen. Denna situation kan utnyttjas av olika batterier även de som från början var designade för en annan applikation. Dess natur tillåter en snabb respons som är väsentlig i vissa av de reglerande produkterna och inte lätt att hitta i andra teknologier. Varje regleringsprodukt har dock olika marknadsregler som också är landsberoende. Av denna anledning är det viktigt att säkerställa att batterierna i fråga har rätt egenskaper. Detta projekt är fokuserat på ett energilagringssystem som utvecklats för ett antal applikationer som inte inkluderar balansjänster. I syfte att ta reda på om batteriet kan hitta en ny intäktsström på balansmarknaden har en studie av de mest relevanta frekvensmarknaderna genomförts. Efter att ha identifierat de som batteriet kan delta i enligt dess tekniska egenskaper, har en matematisk modell utvecklats. Modellen ger den optimala budgivningsstrategin för auktionerna för dagen före på de utvalda marknaderna och den mest bekväma operativa planeringen för leveransdagen. Tack vare modellen har batteriet visat sig kunna tjäna pengar på att delta på de svenska FCR-marknaderna medan den inte är sysselsatt med sina huvudsakliga avsedda tillämpningar. Dessutom kommer det att kunna öka dessa vinster i framtiden genom att delta på den svenska FFR-marknaden när de dagen-före auktionerna är genomförda.