Новости за 03.04.2024

Business advisory company Merchantec Capital’s CEO Confidence Index decreased by three percentage points in the first quarter of this year to a score of 45.4, which is below the neutral 50-point mark. The largest contributor to this decrease in confidence was the planned level of investment across all sectors.

Satchwell – electromechanical equipment manufacturer ACTOM’s Paarl-based manufacturer and supplier of domestic and industrial products and components – has entered the solar power generation market by offering system components to contractors, as well as providing turnkey solutions on a select and small-scale basis. The recent incorporation of Electrical Products’ heating and ventilation unit, with brands Xpelair, Redring and Tempadair into Satchwell now positions the business firmly in the heating... Читать дальше...

Research by the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) finds that Africa has moved from being a net carbon sink to a net carbon source in nine years, meaning the rate at which carbon is being released from the continent has increased. Wits explains that Africa went from absorbing more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases to releasing more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs, over the period from 2010 to 2019.

Chinese photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage systems company Trina Solar announced on Wednesday that it has entered a partnership with China Energy International Group and China Gezhouba Group to develop the Mooi Plaats PV power plant project. Mooi Plaats is in the Northern Cape province. The project is being financed by EDF Renewables, with participation by South African financial institutions. “We are proud to partner with China Energy International Group and China Gezhouba Group to bring this... Читать дальше...

South Africa’s State-owned Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has awarded a R60-million contract for the construction of a water desalination plant at the Port of East London, the country’s only river port. The contract has been awarded to a JV comprising Norland Civil Engineers and Contractors and Impact Water Solutions, trading as Sun Water East London, which will construct and operate the solar-powered facility over a seven-year period.

Heavy equipment manufacturer Bell Equipment has been growing its business organically by investing in the development and enhancement of products, increasing market share in key regions, such as the Middle East, and growing the Bell Heavy Industries (BHI) contract manufacturing business. Bell Equipment CEO Ashley Bell tells Engineering News that the company has initiated discussions with potential customers to help stimulate the South African manufacturing sector through contract manufacturing.

After nearly 200 countries made major energy commitments at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, the International Energy Agency (IEA) is taking a leading role in ensuring these promises are transformed into action. The agency is tracking countries’ progress towards key objectives, sharing policy advice and creating forums for leaders to exchange ideas.

New-vehicle sales plummeted by 11.7% in March, to 44 237 units, compared with the same month last year. Sales for the first quarter of the year are now 5.3% below the same period last year.

UK-based global major power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce announced on Wednesday that it had started flight tests of its latest aero engine, the Pearl 10X. This has been developed specifically to power French group Dassault’s latest business jet, and is the latest member of Rolls-Royce’s latest technology Pearl engine family. “We are excited to enter into this important next phase of the engine development programme with the start of our flight test campaign,” enthused Rolls-Royce Business Aviation Senior VP: Dassault Philipp Zeller.

Delays to the planned closures of coal-fired power plants proposed by South Africa’s energy department could result in thousands of deaths from air pollution and lead to billions of dollars of health-related costs, an air-quality research agency said. The projection about the health impacts of the delays, which the energy department says are necessary to guarantee the country’s energy security, add to criticism of South Africa’s draft blueprint for power supply through 2050. Comparing proposals in... Читать дальше...

The inaugural board of the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) has been announced by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who also confirmed Godfrey Moagi as the State-owned company’s interim CEO. The board will be chaired by former PetroSA CEO Sipho Mkhize and is expected to manage the winding down of the three Central Energy Fund (CEF) Group of Companies entities that are being merged to form the SANPC, namely PetroSA, iGas and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF).

South African policymakers are in discussions on lowering the central bank's inflation target, its governor said on Wednesday, adding that a lower target would make the country more competitive and bring the central bank in line with peers. Lesetja Kganyago told Reuters he personally preferred a decision that would lower the target from its current range of between 3% and 6% "before we get to 2025", but that teams from the South African Reserve Bank and National Treasury were still identifying the appropriate range and risks associated with it.

Financial services firm Standard Bank has reduced the carbon emissions from its facilities across Africa by 4.6% year-on-year in 2023, putting the group ahead of its 2040 net-zerio target, says Standard Bank Group COO Margaret Nienaber. Standard Bank South Africa has reduced its carbon footprint in its owned buildings by 52% in the past decade, she adds.

JSE-listed energy and chemicals company Sasol has streamlined the portfolios of the members of its group executive committee, with effect from April 1. This involves changes to important functions and executive responsibilities of the directors. As previously announced, Simon Baloyi has succeeded Fleetwood Grobler as Sasol president, CEO and executive director.

Diversified mining company African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) has entered into a subscription agreement for a private placement financing with Surge Copper, a Canadian company that is advancing an emerging critical metals district in British Columbia. ARM will subscribe for 39 608 708 common Surge shares for C$3.8-million through its wholly-owned subsidiary ARM Copper.

The North-West University (NWU) Business School Policy Uncertainty Index (PUI) veered further into negative territory in the first quarter, at 65.8 index points, compared with the 65.5 index points recorded for the fourth quarter of last year. The PUI is published quarterly. An increase beyond 50 reflects heightened policy uncertainty, while a decline in the PUI means reduced uncertainty. The value of the PUI as a proxy for policy uncertainty is based on tracking changes in policy uncertainty over time.

Forklift products and services provider Masslift Africa, in partnership with Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, in March launched Mitsubishi’s new-generation Grendia forklift series for the Southern African market.

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) collected a record gross amount of R2.16-trillion by the end of March. It paid out refunds of R414-billion to taxpayers, which is the highest ever in refunds compared with the R381-billion paid out in the prior year and representing growth of 8.6%.