Новости за 17.11.2021

JSE-listed real estate investment trust (Reit) Investec Property Fund (IPF) has stabilised its South African business, while its European business delivered a solid performance during the six months to September 30. Joint CEO Andrew Wooler reported on November 17 that the company's balance sheet was strong and that vacancy rates were reducing.

State-owned Transnet says that, in line with its vision to digitally transform its business processes and systems, current and potential service providers will now be required to submit tender documentation electronically, using a Web-based electronic platform – the e-Tender Submission Portal. The system, which has enhanced security features, means there will be no opportunity for any interference or tampering prior to tender closure on the system, Transnet says.

Gas-to-power solutions provider DNG Energy has received South Africa’s first ever consignment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, in a historic moment for South Africa‘s energy market. The development is a precursor to the commissioning of DNG’s first floating storage unit delivery in the first quarter of 2022, setting the stage for a new era of growth, competition and sustainability in the energy market.

In an environment where manufacturers have and continue to overcome disruptions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Manufacturing Operations Management Institute president and senior consultant Jan Snoeij has said industries need to innovate to survive and be successful through better systems integration, which will drive innovation. Speaking during the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association Africa year-end function on November 17, he said that, although manufacturers needed to do their sole business... Читать дальше...

Astron Energy has revealed its new brand identity and provided insight into what its network of Caltex service stations will look like when over 850 retail sites are rebranded to Astron Energy. Astron Energy has unveiled a new logo and corporate colours, as well as the design of its forecourts.

JSE-listed Indluplace has declared a gross dividend of 28.13c apiece for the financial year ended September 30. The company notes that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, its tenants and the company has been severe and continued well into the year.

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy says that, although COP26 was not the ‘finance COP’ hoped for ahead of the Glasgow meeting, it nevertheless did yield “a good, solid work programme” for defining the post-2025 finance goal and for ensuring that the prevailing $100-billion climate finance commitment is in fact implemented. Ahead of the gathering, South Africa prioritised the securing of an ambitious finance goal and had even suggested that the figure pledged by developed... Читать дальше...

Two Europe-based space startup companies, Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) AG and the UK’s Lúnasa Ltd, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their cooperation regarding the provision of space launch services. The MoU was signed on Tuesday at the Space Tech Expo Europe, in Bremen, in Germany. Together, the two companies aim to provide flexible and cost-effective launch services to customers seeking to deploy small satellites. RFA is focused on the development of an ...

To create a transformed and sustainable world-class ports system, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has launched its new operational model (OM) structure so that it may “stimulate a transformed maritime economy through adaptable infrastructure that is fit-for-purpose”. The new OM seeks to “reposition South Africa in the global market and ensure growth and sustainability”. It also seeks to address customer needs, while facilitating trade on the African continent.

South Africa’s energy regulator and energy minister have been sued by environmental activists over national plans to allow the construction of new coal-fired power plants. Plans for the construction of 1 500 megawatts of coal-fired generation capacity are included in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity and a ministerial determination passed on September 25 last year. “New coal-fired power flies in the face of our constitutional right to an environment not harmful to health and well-being... Читать дальше...

South Africa’s inflation rate remained unchanged on the eve of a central bank interest rate announcement that’s dividing economists and traders. Consumer prices rose 5% from a year earlier in October, the same as the previous month, Statistics South Africa said Wednesday in a statement published on its website. Headline inflation, driven by rising food costs and record-high fuel prices, has now breached 4.5% -- the midpoint of the central bank’s target range at which it prefers to anchor expectations -- for six consecutive months. Читать дальше...

WEC Projects, with an undisclosed joint venture partner, has designed and built a new water treatment plant to supply potable water to one of the most populous communities in Gauteng. The R270-million plant, in partnership with a local construction, concessions and manufacturing group, has been designed to provide 60 Ml/day and was commissioned as part of a R1-billion upgrade project for a community that has been experiencing a considerable increase in demand for potable water over the last few years.

US-based global major aerospace group Boeing and Kenyan national flag carrier Kenya Airways (which is a public private partnership) have entered into a partnership to develop the Fahari Innovation Hub, which was launched by the airline in July. The creation of the partnership was announced at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday. The Fahari Innovation Hub is a business unit of Kenya Airways, but is autonomous to ensure agility. It is a platform to unite innovators with entrepreneurs, to stimulate the development... Читать дальше...

The Department of Water and Sanitation and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, under the Ministry of Environment, have extended their working water-sector agreement for a further five years. Officially extending and entering into Phase 3 of the strategic collaboration and cooperation in the field of the water sector, water use and water resources, the treaty was formally ratified by Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu and Danish Ambassador Tobias Elling Rehfeld during a dinner meeting at Waterkloof... Читать дальше...

JSE-listed Tongaat Hulett's share price fell by nearly 43% on Wednesday after it announced a proposed equity raise to reduce its debt to a more sustainable level. As part of the company's ongoing turnaround plans, it has already reduced its debt by 42% over the past two and a half years.

CASE Construction Equipment, a CNH Industrial brand, launched its CX 220C LC heavy duty excavator in South Africa last month. This is the latest in the company’s range of excavators with the latest addition geared towards harsh working conditions while prioritising comfort and efficiency. Nadine Ramdass attended the launch.

Oil and gas plants are methane mines and opening new ones is an anathema that fails to take the livelihoods of today’s offspring seriously, says Fortescue Metals Group chairperson and green hydrogen protagonist Andrew Forrest. “I argue strongly that opening up a new coal mine, or even a methane mine – which is what an oil and gas plant is, a methane mine – and opening up new one is an anathema, it’s a contradiction, it’s actually not taking the livelihood of our kids, ourselves, seriously.

Nigerian domestic airline Ibom Air has placed a firm order with Airbus for ten A220 airliners. The A220 family are the smallest aircraft in the Airbus commercial aviation portfolio, being designed for the 100-passenger to 150-passenger market segment. Ibom Air is owned by the government of Akwa Ibom state, in south-east Nigeria. The contract was signed at the Dubai Airshow. “As an organisation, we at Ibom Air are delighted with the steep growth we have achieved in just over two and a half years since we commenced operations... Читать дальше...

Food and beverage manufacturer Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) has piloted an industrial-scale, artificial intelligence- (AI-) driven plant that reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and recycles wastewater from production processes at its Babelegi Industrial Park, in Hammanskraal. The industry-first pilot project leveraged partner Emissions Capture Company’s (ECCO’s) WhiteBox technology, a machine learning-based system that captures CO2 from flue gas emissions, recycles industrial... Читать дальше...

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has welcomed South African financial services provider Absa Bank to its Global Trade Liquidity Program (GTLP) to boost access to trade finance in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in low-income and fragile countries. Through a combined investment of $250-million, the IFC and Absa will channel credit to a portfolio of trade transactions that is expected to facilitate up to $1.6-billion in trade over the next three years.

Cybersecurity multinational TrendMicro saw tools and techniques that had been used in previous years reemerge to target cloud infrastructure, while ransomware attacks have also been modernised, TrendMicro South Africa senior sales engineer Yash Pillay said this week. Reporting on the trends seen in the first half of this year, TrendMicro said its smart protection network worldwide helped defend against, and blocked, 40-billion threats, compared with 27-billion threats in the first half of 2020.

Macquarie-managed UK Climate Investments (UKCI) and Norfund are financing a joint venture (JV) between H1 Holdings and Pele Green Energy to fund a 40% equity participation in a 700 MW portfolio of onshore wind farms. Both partners will invest alongside Enel Green Power in one of South Africa’s largest renewable energy equity deals valued at about $100-million.

Eskom has confirmed that Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from 14:00 on Wednesday November 17, until 5:00 on Saturday November 20. CEO Andre de Ruyter announced the latest round of load-shedding at the tail-end of a briefing initially called to warn of possible rotational power cuts, owing to a surge in unplanned outages to 14 444 MW, while planned maintenance was being performed on units with a combined capacity of 4 100 MW.

Green hydrogen, a clean energy source made from water and renewable power, could become competitive in a decade, according to French utility Engie. That relies on Europe setting up the necessary regulatory framework to drive up demand and slash costs, Sebastien Arbola, the company’s head of thermal generation and energy supply, said Tuesday in Paris. The “tipping point” for renewable hydrogen to compete with gray hydrogen -- which is made from methane and emits carbon -- could be in 2030-2035, he said.

Telecommunications group MTN South Africa has concluded a passive tower infrastructure transaction with IHS Towers following a lengthy competitive process. The completion of the transaction is subject to certain conditions precedent, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in first quarter of 2022.