Новости за 09.12.2021

An ongoing study funded by the World Bank under the guiding leadership of mineral research organisation Mintek has found that there are considerable opportunities for South Africa in the battery storage value chain. The country, however, needs to move quickly to capitalise on these opportunities to ensure that valuable resources and financial benefits do not leave the region, it was revealed during the World Bank’s Battery Storage Value Chain Creation in Southern Africa Online stakeholder engagement workshop, held on December 9.

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has signed a three-year agreement to supply China’s Bosai Minerals Group with bauxite ore from the Republic of Guinea. Under the agreement, EGA will supply Bosai Minerals Group with several million tonnes of bauxite ore each year, with the first shipment expected in January.

Dr Sean Douglas Phillips has been appointed as the new permanent director-general of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu said that he is hopeful that the stability of the department and its entities will be realised with a permanent director-general of the calibre of Phillips.

Africa's retail landscape is set to change, driven by demand from young, urban and digitally savvy consumers, increasing mobile phone penetration, the creation of digital payment and shopping networks, favourable governmental regulations and spending initiatives, and significant investment by both foreign and domestic companies, the latest Global Retail Development Index by management consulting firm Kearney shows. Retailers and central banks in various countries are working toward developing and... Читать дальше...

InfraCo Africa, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), and Grindrod, have tasked SECO Marine to build a 96-m-long roll on/roll off ferry, in Entebbe, Uganda. SECO is an affiliate company of Mombasa‐based shipyard Southern Engineering.

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has condemned "unrelenting attacks" on oil and gas development in South Africa, which appear designed to thwart economic growth and deepen unemployment in the country. "Africa deserves an equal chance to develop its economies on the strength of her natural resources," Mantashe said in a media briefing. The ministry convened the briefing on Thursday in response to growing opposition to Shell’s plans to perform seismic surveys off the Wild Coast. Читать дальше...

The Gauteng Provincial Government's budget has increased by R7-billion increase to R149.5-billion, Gauteng Finance and E-government MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko announced on December 9. Presenting Gauteng’s 2021 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement and the Adjustments Budget, she noted that this budget had been formulated against the backdrop of severe resource constraints and fiscal consolidation measures that were necessary in the short to medium term, and which are expected to end in the 2024/25 financial year.

Manufacturing production decreased by 8.9% year-on-year in October, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reported on December 9. The largest negative contributions were made by petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products (-17.5% and contributing -4.1 percentage points); basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery (-14.1% and contributing -2.7 percentage points); and motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment (-13.4% and contributing... Читать дальше...

The South African Bus Rapid Transit Association (Sabrata) has called on government to review legislation governing the bus rapid transit (BRT) industry, particularly to extend the 12-year bus operating companies’ contracts that are in place across the country. The contracts will all expire within the next 6 to 12 months.

Dissolving pulp producer Sappi’s Cloquet mill, in the US, is one of the first dissolving pulp facilities to complete an external environmental management verification process. The mill achieved a final score of greater than 80% on the Higg Facility Environmental Management (FEM) verification audit, which is an endorsement of sound environmental practices employed by Cloquet.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have become central and are, more than ever, being factored into the development of sustainable and resilient markets and economies, both locally and globally. The JSE acknowledges the challenges faced by listed companies in navigating the reporting landscape and integrating sustainability thinking into strategic decisions.

The water levels of the Vaal dam have significantly increased from 78.8% last week to the current 85.8%. Last year at this time, the water level of the dam, which is one of 14 that form part of the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS), stood at 36.2%.

Members of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) on Thursday announced their commitment to disclose all mineral development contracts from the start of January this year, wherever they operate, marking a significant step by about a third of the global mining and metals industry to strengthen mineral resource governance.  This new commitment requires members to disclose contracts they have committed to, what taxes they must pay and when payments are due. Members are also encouraged... Читать дальше...

The Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) staged a swift recovery from the Covid-19 induced slump that occurred during the second quarter of 2020, increasing by 60% in the next quarter.  Since then progress has been muted. However, the ACI in the third quarter of this year managed to record a quarter-on-quarter rate of increase of 2.8% during a time several sectors of the economy were under severe pressure owing to the July unrest in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

High-temperature and pressure static equipment solutions provider Steinmüller Africa has received two orders to upgrade State-owned utility Eskom’s Tutuka and Duhva power stations, in Mpumalanga, with a total of 14 new high-pressure heaters. As specified by Eskom’s requirements, these header-type heaters will range from 12 m to 14 m long and will be 2 m in diameter.

South Africa's fight against Covid-19 has received a boost with the approval by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) of a locally developed Covid-19 antigen detection kit. The approved antigen detection device is a rapid visual immunoassay for the qualitative detection of the Covid-19 Nucleocapsid protein (N-protein) antigen from nasopharyngeal swabs and can diagnose acute infection, providing information on whether the patient is currently infected.

Independent power company Globeleq, energy and chemicals multinational Sasol and Mozambique State-owned power utility Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) have announced financial close of the Central Termica de Temane (CTT) power project. Located at Temane, in the Inhambane province, CTT comprises 450 MW gas-fired power plant, which will supply power to EDM under a 25-year tolling agreement.

Business Unity South Africa (Busa) disputes a December 7 claim by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi that it has approach the Constitutional Court seeking a mandatory vaccination declaratory order. Nxesi claimed during the National Economic Development and Labour Council’s yearly summit that government supported Busa going to the Constitutional Court to get a declaratory order.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata), the representative body for the global airline industry, has called on governments to adhere to the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and at once lift all travel bans imposed to try and counter the Omicron variant of Covid-19. The WHO and other public health organisations have advised that such travel bans do not prevent the spread of the disease. “After nearly two years with Covid-19 we know a lot about the virus and the inability of... Читать дальше...

Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about Eskom's tariff application of 2022/23, the initial confusion about whether Eskom's request might be higher than 20.5% and the consultation process by Nersa.

Facing a second consecutive quarterly decline, Absa’s manufacturing survey finds that, overall, business confidence dipped by three points to 38 during the fourth quarter, thereby effectively resulting in the manufacturing sector facing a “stop-start” recovery.   The bank notes that risks related to the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and uncertainty regarding load-shedding are continuing to weigh on local manufacturers, despite positive news regarding domestic and export sales volumes, as well as fixed investment levels.

JSE-listed sugarcane and maize producer Tongaat Hulett’s operating profit for the six months ended September 30 fell by 23% year-on-year to R1.3-billion. This movement mainly reflects the impact of lower sugar production in the company’s South African operation, increased expenses in Zimbabwe and the R183-million benefit from the profit on disposal of the Namibian packaging operation in the prior period.

City Lodge Hotel Group’s new Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City, in Midrand, which opened on March 1, offers a full dining experience, a move away from a breakfast-only offering. This represents the vision for the group moving forward. Tasneem Bulbulia tells us more.

The South African Health Products Authority (Sahpra) has approved a third booster dose for South Africans following the outbreak of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. This follows concerns at early evidence suggesting that the Omicron has a higher re-infection risk.