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Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals News

Conference to shed light on CO2-based production technologies

9th March 2018 The sixth edition of the international Carbon Dioxide as Feedstock for Fuels, Chemicals and Polymers conference will take place in Cologne, Germany in mid-March. More than 200 industry and research experts are expected to attend the symposium. Organiser, independent institute Nova-Institute, has... →

Analysers provide optimised refinery operations and quality

9th March 2018 Specialised engineering company RTS Africa Engineering’s Hy-Optima 2700 hydrogen analysers optimise refinery operations, products and quality. The basic process of refining crude oil involves heating the crude oil in a column and the condensates are drawn off at different levels to produce –... →

METICULOUS MONITORING There are up to 23 points in an oil refinery where the level of hydrogen needs to be very accurately monitored

BP and Renault Sport Racing strengthen strategic relationship

9th March 2018 Multinational petroleum company BP has extended its sponsorship of multinational automotive manufacturer Groupe Renault’s motorsport division Renault Sport Racing. BP will continue its support of Renault Sport Formula One Team for at least the next five years and explore new opportunities to... →

TUFAN ERGINBILGIC BP is looking forward to its continued relationship with Renault Sport Racing

Energy company launches new product, expands operation

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 9th March 2018 Independent energy company SA Oil made its new brand of fuel, Accelerate Special Gasoline, available to the market last month. This follows the response to a product trial, which ran between 2016 and 2017, where it was made available in limited quantities and “enthusiastically accepted among... →

GARY PULLEN SA Oil is entering the agricultural market, with a client-centric service offering

Mintek to develop technologies to selectively recover PACs

9th March 2018 Geochemical and metallurgical analysis company Mintek is currently conducting a project called Pacman for which the aim is to separate valuable metal and unreacted material from waste during ferrochrome production. The project is run by Mintek’s pyrometallurgy and minerals processing divisions.... →

MARKUS ERWEE Mintek wants to develop technology that could be used by communities around smelters

Rope access company using new technology at petrochemicals giant

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 9th March 2018 Rope access solutions provider Skyriders Access Specialists has started using the Elios drone, from Swiss drone manufacturer Flyability, at a large petrochemicals company, in Mpumalanga. “Skyriders is at the forefront in terms of using drones in tandem with rope access services; they complement... →

DYNAMITE DRONES The collision-tolerant drones can enter confined spaces indoors and ensure that conditions are safe and adequate for the rope access team to inspect

Spending on innovation in industry inadequate

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 9th March 2018 The private sector is not investing enough money and resources in innovation in the chemicals and petrochemicals industry, says thermoplastic products supplier Astore Keymak business development director Malindi Nkambule. “One of the greatest challenges facing the industry is the lack of product... →

MALINDI NKAMBULE The chemicals and petrochemicals industry is in a fairly good state in relation to the challenges being faced

Transport company awarded contract for Africa’s largest oil refinery

9th March 2018 Transportation service provider Mammoet has been contracted to provide heavy lifting and transport solutions for a new multibillion-dollar oil refinery in Nigeria. In January, Mammoet and Nigerian multinational industrial conglomerate Dangote Group signed the contract for the project during... →

Therapeutic brands help lift Aspen Pharmacare's H1 profit

By: Reuters 8th March 2018 South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare said on Thursday first-half earnings rose 26%, buoyed by a strong result from therapeutic focused brands and positive performance of the pharmaceutical business in its home market. Aspen, which counts developed Europe as its biggest revenue generator, has been... →

Long-suffering SA manufacturing sector hoping to reap Ramaphosa dividend

By: Dylan Slater 2nd March 2018 Prior to the Valentine’s Day resignation of now former President Jacob Zuma, popular industry sentiment pointed towards a better year in terms of manufacturing and gross domestic product (GDP) on the back of a recovering commodities market. →

Omnia acquires Oro Agri for $100m

By: Simone Liedtke 1st March 2018 Chemical manufacturing company Omnia Group has agreed to acquire 100% of the ordinary shares of Oro Agri SEZC and 52% of the ordinary shares of Oro Agri South Africa (SA), which is not already owned by Oro Agro SEZC, for $100-million. Omnia will fund the transaction through existing available... →

Ascendis launches strategic review, headline earnings increase to R535m in H1

By: Simone Liedtke 1st March 2018 Pharmaceutical company Ascendis Health has initiated a strategic business review to create a sustainable market position for itself and to accelerate organic growth following the completion of several acquisitions locally and offshore since the company's listing in 2013. The review is expected to... →

AECI posts record HEPS for FY17

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 27th February 2018 Explosives and specialty chemicals group AECI on Tuesday reported its highest recorded headline earnings per share (HEPS) to date, at 959c, for the financial year ended December 31. HEPS were up 17% year-on-year, while earnings a share increased by 22% year-on-year to 900c. →

Photo by Duane Daws
AECI CEO Mark Dytor

Accéntuate aims for recovery as political power changes hands

By: Irma Venter 23rd February 2018 Flooring, water and chemicals specialist Accéntuate experienced a tough six months to December 31, 2017, with the company moving from a R3.5-million profit in the same period in 2016, to a loss of R1.78-million. Accéntuate said on Friday that its business had suffered on the back of depressed... →

Nuclear corporation, and country, hit hard by safety shut of radioisotope maker

By: Rebecca Campbell 23rd February 2018 The safety compliance failures at NTP Radioisotopes, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the State-owned South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), has created a crisis within the parastatal and for the country’s nuclear medicine community and its patients. Necsa shut down operations at NTP in... →

South African nuclear group in tight financial situation, but optimistic about recovery

By: Rebecca Campbell 23rd February 2018 The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) is currently facing financial pressures, confirms the State-owned group’s Chief Executive, Phumzile Tshelane to “Engineering News”. “At the moment, Necsa is under financial stress, because [subsidiary] Pelchem is loss-making and we need to... →

KAP gears up for growth, announces solid interim results

By: Schalk Burger 23rd February 2018 Diversified industrial group KAP Industrial Holdings has raised R2-billion through the issuance of three- to five-year bond tenures to fund its future growth, the firm stated in its six-month interim results for the period ended December 31. Its revenue from continuing operations increased by 29%... →

Inferior imports likely to increase in refrigerant industry

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 23rd February 2018 Illegal inferior refrigerants imports will increase as the ongoing phasing out of hydrochlorofluorocarbon and the impending phase out of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases progresses, argues speciality chemical and gas supplier A-Gas South Africa national sales manager Michael Labacher. “These... →

Photo by Duane Daws
LAB INSPECTION A-Gas tests and inspects refrigerants to ensure that they are legitimate and meet global specifications prior to shipment to South Africa

Slow start to year to impact on Tiger Brands’ FY18 performance

By: Creamer Media Reporter 21st February 2018 JSE-listed Tiger Brands’ shares fell by 9% on Wednesday morning after the company announced that its revenue for the four months to January 31 had decreased by 5% year-on-year, driven by price deflation of 1% and volume declines of 4%. In a voluntary trading update to the market, the company... →

South African radioisotope producer restarts production

By: Rebecca Campbell 21st February 2018 The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) announced on Wednesday that its subsidiary company, NTP Radioisotopes, had resumed production. Necsa shut down operations at NTP in late November due to non-compliance with safety protocols at the radioisotope producer, a step with which the... →

Photo by Duane Daws/Creamer Media
The Necsa complex at Pelindaba

Legacy issues, poor Q1 affect Rolfes' H1 earnings

By: Simone Liedtke 19th February 2018 Black-empowered chemical group Rolfes' financial results for the six months ended December 31 were negatively affected by legacy issues and a poor first quarter, resulting in headline earnings halving to R23.62-million, from R48.23-million in the six months to December 31, 2016. Revenue from... →

Shutdown of radioisotope subsidiary is a crisis for nuclear corporation and for the country

By: Rebecca Campbell 14th February 2018 The safety compliance failures at NTP Radioisotopes, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the State-owned South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), has created a crisis within the parastatal and for the country’s nuclear medicine community and its patients. Necsa shut down operations at NTP in... →

Photo by Duane Daws/Creamer Media
An aerial view of Necsa’s Pelindaba complex

KAP gears up for growth, announces solid interim results

By: Schalk Burger 12th February 2018 Diversified industrial group KAP Industrial Holdings has raised R2-billion through the issuance of three- to five-year bond tenures to fund its future growth, the firm stated in its six-month interim results for the period ended December 31. The group on Monday reported that its revenue from... →

Lubricants manufacturer opens analytical centre

By: Marleny Arnoldi 9th February 2018 Leading automotive and industrial products manufacturer G.U.D Holdings’ subsidiary, Indy Oil, has opened its analytical centre at its blending plant in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. →

LAB GEM An ultra-shear viscometer is used for the research and development of engine oils and additive packages

Lubricants company creates specialist division to drive localisation

By: Marleny Arnoldi 9th February 2018 Lubricants specialist FUCHS Lubricants South Africa (FUCHS) and its parent company FUCHS Petrolub SE, based in Germany, have created a Lubritech division to drive a specialisation and localisation agenda. →

Photo by Duane Daws
PLANT FOR PURPOSE Before food-grade lubrication can be manufactured, it needs certain certifications, including Kosher, Halaal and ISO 21469 certification

High-performance diesel engine oil launched

9th February 2018 Earlier this month, lubricant and grease manufacturer Blue Chip Lubricants launched a super high-performance diesel engine oil called Q8 Formula Truck 7000 15W-40. →

EXTENDING ENGINE LIFE With the current influx of diesel engines into the South African market requiring this type of technology, now is the ideal time to introduce the Q8 Formula Truck 7000 15W-40

Supplier adds food-grade range to lubricant offering

By: Marleny Arnoldi 9th February 2018 Engineering consumables and components distributor BMG will start supplying a National Sanitation Foundation International-certified H1 food-grade range of lubricants from the third quarter this year to the food and beverage industry. →

South African nuclear group under financial stress, but optimistic about recovery

By: Rebecca Campbell 8th February 2018 The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) is currently facing financial pressures, the State-owned group’s Chief Executive, Phumzile Tshelane, has confirmed to Engineering News Online. “At the moment, Necsa is under financial stress, because [subsidiary] Pelchem is loss-making and we... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Necsa CE Phumzile Tshelane

Tribunal to consider Sinopec's $900m deal to acquire 75% of Chevron South Africa

By: Simone Liedtke 7th February 2018 The Competition Tribunal will, on Thursday, consider the proposed $900-million buyout by China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) subsidiary SOIHL HK of a 75% interest in Chevron South Africa (CSA). Sinopec is a significant Chinese manufacturer and supplier of petroleum and... →

Sasol successfully commissions Phase 2 of wax expansion plant

By: Simone Liedtke 6th February 2018 Phase 2 of petrochemicals company Sasol’s Fischer-Tropsch Wax Expansion Plant (FTWEP) has successfully been commissioned at its Sasolburg operation. Valued at R13.6-billion, the plant has successfully started in its entirety and has been running stably for six months. →

Industry body authorised as verification authority

2nd February 2018 The Department of Labour has authorised industry body the Southern African Gas Association (Saga) to be the verification authority for the natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industrial equipment industry for South Africa. All industrial equipment needs to conform to the SANS 329 and... →

DoL mandates committee to ensure practitioners are certified

2nd February 2018 The Department of Labour (DoL) has mandated the South African Qualification and Certification Committee for Gas (SAQCC Gas) to ensure that all gas practitioners are trained and certified through the four different gas associations. These associations are the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety... →

Showcase of SA's manufacturing prowess to debut in 2019

By: Dylan Slater 2nd February 2018 To showcase the best South Africa has to offer in terms of local manufacturing and South African-produced capital equipment, capital equipment manufactures lobby group the South African Capital Equipment Exporters Council (Saceec) has partnered with exhibition organisers Specialised Exhibitions... →

Aspen to start review of infant milk formula unit

By: Reuters 29th January 2018 Aspen Pharmacare will review its infant milk formula business with options including a sale to a strategic partner, Africa's biggest generic drugmaker said on Monday. The unit, which has factories in New Zealand, South Africa and Mexico, follows the approval by the China Food and Drug... →

Sasol says higher oil price, if sustained, bodes well for H2

By: Terence Creamer 23rd January 2018 Chemicals and energy group Sasol indicated on Tuesday that its second-half results would be positively affected should the recent rise in oil prices to levels approaching $70/bbl be sustained for the remainder of its financial year, which runs to June 30. In a trading statement for the six months... →

Industry demand sets high targets for company

By: Simone Liedtke 19th January 2018 Activated carbon manufacturer Rotocarb aims to become the biggest activated carbon producer in Africa by 2019, owing to increasing demand and dependence on activated carbon in the wastewater treatment, purification and desalination industry. →

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN The company’s water-intensive processing and wastewater treatment operations use local raw materials, technology and deployment

National nanotechnology centre developing prototypes, commercialising technologies

By: Keith Campbell 19th January 2018 The National Centre for Nanostructured Materials (NCNSM) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research plans to commission its third pilot plant during the course of this year (2018). The centre’s current two pilot plants were both brought into operation in the middle of 2016. One of... →

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