The national electricity utility in South Africa, Eskom, is currently under pressure to supply the increasing demand for electricity on a national level. To address this problem in the short term, Eskom partially funds load management and energy efficiency projects. In the meantime, Eskom is also increasing their generation capacity through the erection of new power stations. To finance these capital projects, sharp tariff increases, higher than inflation, are levied, resulting in higher operating expenditures for the consumers. These increased tariffs are especially affecting industrial institutions. Large industries are therefore willing participants in the partially Eskom funded electricity savings programme that hold benefits for both parties. One of these large industries is the Mining Sector. This sector is an energy intensive group and consumes up to 15% of Eskom’s total output. The refrigeration and pumping systems used in the sectors are two of the major electricity consumers. As part of Eskom’s Demand Side Management (DSM) initiative, an electrical energy savings project was implemented in the deep mines’ chilled water systems. The cooling system is optimally controlled to ensure less underground water usage. This ensures that less water is pumped out by the dewatering system, reducing electrical energy usage. A variety of components, such as refrigeration and energy recovery depend on chilled water to function properly. Every relevant component was simulated and the verification of results was done through correlations with process data obtained from the mine. The simulation results showed acceptable error margins that would not influence accuracy. Two sites where a water supply optimisations project was implemented were selected as case studies. In both case studies, thermal results of the refrigeration and cooling system showed a reduction in cooling effectiveness. In case study A, the energy recovery components showed negative results. All of the results were converted to electrical energy costs to enable comparison. Constraints were evident during deep mine water supply optimisation. These were determined and the thermal effects were simulated. This study enabled basic quantifications of environmental impact and also determining project cost savings. The studies showed that positive and negative effects can be brought on in the mining systems with the reduction in chilled water use. In some cases the cooling system components showed a decrease in cooling effectiveness, but exhibited electrical energy savings. This impact was during periods where no personnel were underground in the working area. In conclusion the study also showed that cost savings resulting from the reduced chilled water are substantially higher than negative financial losses seen on the other components. / MIng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The national electricity utility in South Africa, Eskom, is currently under pressure to supply the increasing demand for electricity on a national level. To address this problem in the short term, Eskom partially funds load management and energy efficiency projects. In the meantime, Eskom is also increasing their generation capacity through the erection of new power stations. To finance these capital projects, sharp tariff increases, higher than inflation, are levied, resulting in higher operating expenditures for the consumers. These increased tariffs are especially affecting industrial institutions. Large industries are therefore willing participants in the partially Eskom funded electricity savings programme that hold benefits for both parties. One of these large industries is the Mining Sector. This sector is an energy intensive group and consumes up to 15% of Eskom’s total output. The refrigeration and pumping systems used in the sectors are two of the major electricity consumers. As part of Eskom’s Demand Side Management (DSM) initiative, an electrical energy savings project was implemented in the deep mines’ chilled water systems. The cooling system is optimally controlled to ensure less underground water usage. This ensures that less water is pumped out by the dewatering system, reducing electrical energy usage. A variety of components, such as refrigeration and energy recovery depend on chilled water to function properly. Every relevant component was simulated and the verification of results was done through correlations with process data obtained from the mine. The simulation results showed acceptable error margins that would not influence accuracy. Two sites where a water supply optimisations project was implemented were selected as case studies. In both case studies, thermal results of the refrigeration and cooling system showed a reduction in cooling effectiveness. In case study A, the energy recovery components showed negative results. All of the results were converted to electrical energy costs to enable comparison. Constraints were evident during deep mine water supply optimisation. These were determined and the thermal effects were simulated. This study enabled basic quantifications of environmental impact and also determining project cost savings. The studies showed that positive and negative effects can be brought on in the mining systems with the reduction in chilled water use. In some cases the cooling system components showed a decrease in cooling effectiveness, but exhibited electrical energy savings. This impact was during periods where no personnel were underground in the working area. In conclusion the study also showed that cost savings resulting from the reduced chilled water are substantially higher than negative financial losses seen on the other components. / MIng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Estate planning is an important exercise aimed at increasing, preserving and protecting assets during a person's lifetime and providing for the disposition and continued utilisation of these assets after his death. The minimisation of estate duty, however, often dominates the motivation behind estate planning and many of the tools, structures and techniques used as part of the estate planning exercise are aimed at reducing or avoiding estate duty. One of these tools is the trust. In the 2010 Budget Review National Treasury suggested that taxes upon death should be reviewed. Such review may result in estate duty being abolished. Should this happen, the motivation behind many estate plans will dissipate and many estate plans that mainly focussed on estate duty will become ineffective. The question that comes to mind is whether trusts have a future as estate planning tools. Estate planning involves many different objectives and many of these objectives can be achieved through the use of trusts. Trusts have multiple benefits and only if a trust was set up solely to reduce or avoid estate duty, will such trust become superfluous. When looking at the use of trusts in countries that do not levy estate duty (such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand), it is clear that trusts remained useful and popular in these countries even after estate duty had been abolished. This is a strong indication that trusts have a future in South Africa and that the abolishment of estate duty will not affect the usefulness and popularity of trusts. / Thesis (M.Com. (South African and International Taxation))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Estate planning is an important exercise aimed at increasing, preserving and protecting assets during a person's lifetime and providing for the disposition and continued utilisation of these assets after his death. The minimisation of estate duty, however, often dominates the motivation behind estate planning and many of the tools, structures and techniques used as part of the estate planning exercise are aimed at reducing or avoiding estate duty. One of these tools is the trust. In the 2010 Budget Review National Treasury suggested that taxes upon death should be reviewed. Such review may result in estate duty being abolished. Should this happen, the motivation behind many estate plans will dissipate and many estate plans that mainly focussed on estate duty will become ineffective. The question that comes to mind is whether trusts have a future as estate planning tools. Estate planning involves many different objectives and many of these objectives can be achieved through the use of trusts. Trusts have multiple benefits and only if a trust was set up solely to reduce or avoid estate duty, will such trust become superfluous. When looking at the use of trusts in countries that do not levy estate duty (such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand), it is clear that trusts remained useful and popular in these countries even after estate duty had been abolished. This is a strong indication that trusts have a future in South Africa and that the abolishment of estate duty will not affect the usefulness and popularity of trusts. / Thesis (M.Com. (South African and International Taxation))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.