Новости за 22.01.2024

Global energy solutions provider Aggreko has acquired the South African and UK-based businesses of RenEnergy group, a business known for its innovative commercial and industrial solar energy generation and storage solutions. This strategic investment comes amid a greater drive for businesses, governments and individuals to transition to a greener, cleaner world. Hence, both companies are committed to being at the forefront of this transformation.

Solar installation company Impower has launched a flagship solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) facility at Coral Beach Residential Estate, in the Eastern Cape. Prior to the installation, the estate’s power supply depended on a busy commercial line, which was often vandalised by copper thieves. This resulted in frequent and extended power outages, in addition to the regular loadshedding.

Energy solutions company KS Energy is targeting financial closure this year for the first phase of a small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain in partnership with a Tanzanian gas producer, with first gas offtake expected in early 2026. The capital expenditure for the liquefication plant will be less than $90-million.

South Africa’s delegation to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) yearly meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from January 15 to 19, led by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, has said it used the platform to meaningfully engage investors, civil society, businesses and governments, driving home the message that the country remains a top destination for growth and investment. The delegation was comprised of Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel, Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Blade Nzimande... Читать дальше...

The University of the Free State (UFS) and fresh produce company ZZ2 have launched a joint venture company NovaLogix to develop and produce a probiotic used in the production of fresh produce to enhance plant health and growth. NovaLogix will focus on improved production techniques, product registration, commercialisation, and improved recipes, the partners said.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has agreed to extend the submission date for requests for proposal for the 'Redevelopment of the Six Priority Land Ports of Entry' project to July 4. The six priority land ports of entry earmarked for re-development include Beitbridge on the border with Zimbabwe, Lebombo on the border with Mozambique, Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg on the border with Lesotho, Kopfontein on the border with Botswana, and Oshoek on the border with eSwatini.

Europe-based global corporate finance partnership Clairfield International and FirstRand Bank division Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), have formally agreed to partner, marking both firms’ commitment to increasing their global footprint and the delivery of corporate finance advisory solutions for clients. This partnership will position RMB as the gateway for Clairfield clients into South Africa, Nigeria and the broader sub-Saharan African market, while Clairfield provides accessibility for RMB into Europe... Читать дальше...

State-owned development financier the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is gearing up to play a role in the public procurement of 7 615 MW of new electricity generation and storage capacity, including by facilitating participation for black-owned entities and communities. The DBSA has, to date, invested R12.4-billion into various projects procured since the launch of the country’s first independent power producer (IPP) auctions in 2011 and will now seek to participate in the three bidding... Читать дальше...

Infrastructure planning and management centre Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) will hold the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium (Sidssa) 2024 on March 17 to 19 at the Century City Conference Center, in Cape Town. The symposium will bring together key stakeholders from South Africa and across the continent with the aim of driving infrastructure development. It serves as a crucial platform for discussions and partnerships in the infrastructure investment landscape, with a focus on accelerating... Читать дальше...

The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the intergovernmental agency responsible for overseeing the regulation of civil aviation, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), have extended their cooperation regarding the safe carrying of dangerous goods by aircraft. This was done with the conclusion of an agreement between the two organisations, during a visit to IATA’s head office, in Geneva, Switzerland, by ICAO ...

Stellantis Ventures, the corporate venture fund of auto maker Stellantis, says it has “become a strategic investor” in Tiamat, a France-based company that is developing and commercialising sodium-ion battery technology. Sodium-ion technology offers a lower cost per kilowatt-hour, and is free of lithium and cobalt, which can be costly to mine and difficult to obtain.

Ongoing strong performance by South Africa’s Hillside Aluminium operation in KwaZulu-Natal has helped diversified mining company South32 achieve record half-year aluminium production. Moreover, South Africa Manganese sales increased by 9% in the December quarter at a 5% price premium to the medium grade 37% manganese lump ore index.

Green and renewable hydrogen producer and supplier Lhyfe and renewable energy developer Source Galileo have entered into an agreement to jointly develop commercial-scale green and renewable hydrogen production units in the UK and Ireland, with plans under way for multiple units. The companies are collaborating to establish green hydrogen production units in the UK, which will be similar to Lhyfe’s recently inaugurated facility in Occitanie, in southern France.

JSE-listed midtier mining and materials company Afrimat says it is now awaiting approval from only the Competition Tribunal to proceed with its proposed acquisition of Lafarge South Africa. Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe consented to the acquisition on October 27, while the Financial Surveillance Department of the South African Reserve Bank gave its approval for the deal in terms of the Exchange Control Regulations on July 14 last year.

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink on Monday issued an update regarding one of its Embraer ERJ135 37-seat regional airliners, which suffered from a runway excursion when landing at Pemba in Mozambique, on Thursday afternoon. The runway was wet at the time. The aircraft, registration ZS-SJX, had been operating flight 4Z 204 from Johannesburg, and had been carrying 32 passengers and three crew. Everyone disembarked safely through the aircraft’s main front door. There were no injuries.

South Africa’s national budget day is currently scheduled for 21 February, according to National Treasury, which added that the date still needed final confirmations. This year’s event will be closely watched, with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana having said during the medium-term budget presentation in November that significant cost-cutting measures will be undertaken within the government and that the fiscus needed to recoup about R15-billion in taxes. Promises by various finance ministers in... Читать дальше...

Agribusiness company Schweizer Agriculture and seed company Seedco Zambia International have launched a nationwide horticulture training programme under the Schweizer Agriculture' Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development (PARD) consortium. The implementation of the training programme involves 60% capacity building inputs from the Zambian government, with the private sector contributing the balance.

Western Cape provincial trade, tourism and investment promotion agency Wesgro and Standard Bank South Africa have collaborated to support the conclusion of an export deal worth R300-million a year for a Western Cape company and, through it, for a network of mainly women-owned poultry farms in that province and in Mpumalanga province. The deal is for the export of chicken feet to China, and could create 3 000 new jobs across the whole value chain. The company at the centre of this deal is specialist agricultural trading consultancy AskCarlaKote.

Cape Town’s proposed second big commercial airport, the Cape Winelands Airport (CWA), should receive its first passengers in 2027, says RSA.Aero MD Nick Ferguson. RSA.Aero is the project developer, with the first phase expected to cost between R5-billion and R7-billion.

The rapid pace at which South Africa is building renewable energy projects, driven by private sector investment, is viewed as positive in the global context, including at the recently held World Economic Forum's (WEF's) yearly Davos meeting, said business organisation Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso. While there is an opportunity for South Africa amid a global context beset by risks, the momentum must continue, particularly the next steps to reform the electricity sector, including... Читать дальше...

Sasol and Topsoe have appointed Shell’s Jan Toschka as CEO of their recently established sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) JV. Toschka is described as a seasoned leader in the aviation fuels industry, having been President of Global Aviation at Shell, where he was responsible for the energy major’s global network of operations, joint ventures and sales of fuels, lubricants and sustainable solutions to the aviation industry.

China and Democratic Republic of Congo are discussing $7-billion in financing as part of a renegotiated minerals-for-infrastructure deal, President Felix Tshisekedi said Saturday at his second inaugural address in the capital, Kinshasa. Tshisekedi has been pushing for a restructuring of a 2008 $6.2-billion contract between the countries, which he says has provided little benefit to Congo. The original deal promised $3-billion in infrastructure projects paid for by proceeds from a copper and cobalt mine known as Sicomines.

The Brent crude market structure and some physical markets in Europe and Africa are reflecting tighter supply resulting partly from concern about shipping delays due to vessels avoiding the Red Sea, according to traders, LSEG data and analysts. The disruptions have combined with other factors such as outages and rising Chinese demand to increase competition for crude supply that does not have to transit the Suez Canal, and analysts say this is most evident in European markets.

Velaphi Ntuli has returned as the general manager of Koeberg nuclear power station after he was suspended in June 2021 over performance issues - allegations of which he has since been cleared. At the time of his suspension, Koeberg's Unit 1 had not returned to service in May 2021 as scheduled. The delay in returning Unit 1 to service contributed to loadshedding escalating to Stage 4 in June - a first in nine months. Ntuli was subsequently suspended by former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter while investigations... Читать дальше...

Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe re-published the Gas Amendment Bill on Friday for public comment despite the scant hope that it will be processed before Parliament dissolves at the end of March.  The bill, which will regulate the gas industry's development and make provisions for black economic empowerment, has been in the making for the past five years. It was extensively discussed in Nedlac before it was tabled in Parliament in April 2018. It was then withdrawn by Mantashe in September 2022 without much explanation. Читать дальше...