Новости за 21.06.2021

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) will participate in the three-dimensional simulate league of the RoboCup – a yearly artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics event with the goal to advance the state of the art of intelligent robots. Computer science students from the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics (CSAM) in the Faculty of Science will compete.

A trial of self-adhesive labels used on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and laboratory tests afterwards demonstrated that these bottles and labels are fully recyclable, PET recycling company Petco says. PET plastic bottles with adhesive labels have hampered South African recycling processes, as the labelling glue has discoloured the recyclate.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Petco announced that it is diversifying into multimaterials as it anticipates that participation in PROs will increase significantly and to ensure that its members remain compliant under new packaging sustainability laws. Section 18 of the National Environmental Management Waste Act requires producers to assume responsibility for their products up to and including the end-of-life stage of the product cycle.

Cape Town-based heating solutions firm Calore Sustainable Energy (CSE) has developed a new biomass combustion technology that it claims delivers significant savings for industrial clients requiring heating solutions. Calore co-founder Davide Marchesini says that producing heat to generate hot air, hot water or steam, is a core aspect of many industries and contributes substantially to bottom-line costs.

The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust has awarded writer and scholar Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela the prestigious Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship 2020 award. This year the Trust celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award.

With a growing information society and increasing disposable incomes, the amount of e-waste is growing, and official collection and recycling rates fail to keep pace. Globally, only 39% of countries have a national policy, legislation or regulation that covers e-waste; while in Africa, only 13 countries have an e-waste policy, legislation or regulation, which is worrisome as Africa alone generates roughly 2.9-million tonnes of e-waste every year.

Telecommunications group MTN Nigeria plans to invest 640-billion naira, or $1.5-billion, over the next three years to expand the country’s broadband access. The move is in line with the Nigerian government’s 2020 to 2025 National Broadband Plan ambitions of 90% broadband population coverage by 2025 and MTN Group’s Ambition 2025 strategy.

Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) celebrated a production milestone on Monday, June 21, when the 400 000th unit of the current Volkswagen Polo rolled off the production line in Kariega.  With the completion of this unit, the plant had produced a total of 61 635 Polos and 10 373 Polo Vivos this year.

Kenyan national flag carrier Kenya Airways’ subsidiary Fahari Aviation participated in the Tsavo Ecosystem Wildlife Census, which was coordinated by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the recently created Wildlife Research and Training Institute, with financial support from the Kenyan government. Fahari Aviation specialises in the operation of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. The Tsavo Ecosystem Wildlife Census was part of the country’s first, and continuing, national wildlife census. Читать дальше...

Reliable and well-maintained infrastructure is needed for passenger and freight trains to reach their destinations safely, and a key part of this infrastructure includes reliable and resilient railway batteries that powers trains and rail systems, says battery manufacturer First National Battery. “First National Battery develops and distributes train lighting batteries and diesel starter batteries which are low maintenance and long lasting,” says MD Murray Long, who highlights that “railway batteries should feature a reliable plate design... Читать дальше...

Cementitious products manufacturer PPC is considering several initiatives aimed at lowering the carbon footprint of its operations and products as its far-reaching organisational and financial restructuring begins yielding results and creates space for the JSE-listed group to start focusing on its longer-term sustainability. CEO Roland van Wijnen tells Engineering News that several initiatives are being studied to help lower emissions at its manufacturing facilities, as well as to introduce lower-carbon... Читать дальше...

The largest member of Boeing’s 737 MAX single-aisle airliner family, the 737-10, made its maiden flight on Friday. The aircraft took off from Renton Field, in Renton, in the US state of Washington and landed two hours and 31 minutes later at Boeing Field, in Seattle, also in Washington state. (Take-off was at 10h07 local time and landing was at 12h38 local time.) “The airplane performed beautifully,” reported Boeing 737 chief pilot Captain Jennifer Henderson. “The profile we flew allowed us to test the airplane’s systems... Читать дальше...

The availability of used-car stock may start improving in the next six months-plus, as rental companies defleet and consumers increasingly return to the new-car market, trading in their current vehicles, says InspectaCar CEO Pertunia Sibanyoni. Rental companies only recently started to acquire new stock again in response to an uptick in travel and tourism, following the earlier lockdowns initiated by governments in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In keynote address at a virtual seminar hosted by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) earlier in June, Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu called on engineers to “patriotically contribute” to the development agenda of South Africa. She addressed members of the NSBE on the role of local engineers in the execution of the National Water & Sanitation Master Plan, saying the current global challenges, such as climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, require... Читать дальше...

A mobile application (app) developed in Ghana has been designed to cut the response times of ambulances by up to 56% by providing accurate location details without a connection to the Internet – an essential factor for people living in areas with few or unofficial street signs and hard-to-find addresses. The custom-made addressing system called SnooCODE Red was built by Ghanaian engineer Sesinam Dagadu, owner of technology solutions company tinyDAVID, and serves to address emergency response to severely ill Covid-19 patients.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has shared information about various programmes within its export development, promotion and outward investment branch aimed at opening up markets for young producers and entrepreneurs in the agriculture and agroprocessing sector. DTIC export promotion and marketing chief director Joseph Senona said during a “Youth in Manufacturing” webinar hosted on June 18 that there was a great need to get more young people participating in the agriculture economy.

The Department of Tourism has confirmed that it is unable to reinstate the Tourism Relief Fund (TRF) owing to the unavailability of financial resources to do so. The department is, therefore, focusing on the implementation of the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan (TSRP) to ensure a sustained return to business activities as the mainstay of Covid-19 recovery efforts.

Natural gas and helium producer Renergen has discovered helium at its Evander exploration rights prospect, with a concentration of 1.1% helium identified in the gas. Evander spans about 52 000 ha, with many abandoned holes drilled for coal and gold exploration. Evander is also conveniently located around 120 km from South Africa’s

In her weekly newsletter, Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso pays tribute to Jabu Mabuza. Today we will be bidding farewell to one of business’s giants and former BLSA chairperson Jabu Mabuza during his memorial service which will be held at 10:00. He helped business find its voice at the height of state capture. As chairperson of BLSA, while also president of Business Unity South Africa, he was the central figure in making activists out of organised business. Under his guidance, BLSA... Читать дальше...