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Global report forecasts 5.4 GW of new wind additions in South Africa to 2026

By: Terence Creamer 4th April 2022 The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) is forecasting that South Africa will add 5.4 GW of new wind capacity over the coming five years to the end of 2026, even though procurement delays will lead to lower levels of deployment in 2022 when compared with 2021. GWEC’s ‘Global Wind Report 2022’ notes... →

March new-vehicle sales up 16.5%, exports down 12.4% as Ukraine conflict bites

By: Irma Venter 4th April 2022 Domestic new-vehicle sales in March increased by 16.5%, to 50 607 units, compared with the same month last year. This is the highest monthly sales number since the pre-pandemic month of October, 2019, says Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council. →

Transnet moves to sell 16 rail slots to private operators

By: Terence Creamer 1st April 2022 State-owned freight logistics group Transnet has officially launched the much-anticipated bidding process for 16 rail slots, which will be sold to third-party operators for a period of two years on a take-or-pay basis. A bid submission date of May 31 has been set and Transnet expects to announce... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Six slots are being sold on the container corridor from Durban to the City Deep inland terminal pictured here

Green Drop report released, showing decline in Green Drop certifications

By: Natasha Odendaal 1st April 2022 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has published the long-awaited Green Drop Certification Programme Report, awarding just 23 wastewater systems – 22 municipal systems and 1 private system – the Green Drop Certification status. The report, in which all water services authorities,... →

Sanral to invest R76m in N2 community contracts; retendered Mtentu Bridge project awaiting announcement

By: Irma Venter 1st April 2022 The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) says it will invest more than R76-million in seven new contracts to benefit local communities that live around the N2 Wild Coast Road Project in the Eastern Cape. The seven new subcontracting tenders that will be awarded shortly include a... →

South pylon construction on the Msikaba bridge project

Report urges South Africa to push pause on gas-to-power so risks and alternatives can be fully assessed

By: Terence Creamer 31st March 2022 A new report on the role of gas in South Africa’s electricity system argues that it would be a “costly mistake” to pursue large gas-to-power investments in light of a shrinking role for gas in the power sector and improving prospects for greener alternatives. Published by the International... →

White Paper on rail lauded as SA loses at least 1% of GDP to Transnet inefficiency

By: Irma Venter 31st March 2022 The South African coal, chrome, iron-ore and manganese mining sectors lost between R39-billion and R50-billion in export earnings last year as Transnet struggled with capacity to rail bigger volumes of these commodities to ports, says economists.co.za chief economist Mike Schussler. “To put this... →

Transnet Pipelines says Verkykerskop spill site contained, pledges rehab progress across 151 sites

By: Terence Creamer 31st March 2022 Transnet Pipelines says the containment processes at Verkykerskop, where there was a major theft-related diesel spill on the multiproduct pipeline in early March, are nearing completion and that rehabilitation efforts have started. Verkykerskop is about 50 km from Harrismith, in the Free State,... →

Photo by Transnet Pipelines
Containment efforts under way after diesel flowed into the Meul river

Signing of risk mitigation power deals ‘postponed’

By: Terence Creamer 31st March 2022 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has confirmed the “postponement” of the signing of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for projects selected as part of the controversial Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. A signing ceremony was expected to take... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Minister Gwede Mantashe

Germany holds up Just Transition Partnership with South Africa as example of evolving climate and development strategy

By: Terence Creamer 30th March 2022 The Just Transition Partnership signed between South Africa and several developed countries in late 2021 has been held up as an example of the type of ‘climate and development partnership’ that the German government plans to pursue both bilaterally and multilaterally as part of a development... →

German Development Minister Svenja Schulze

Bell to shift ADT production to Germany, introduce new products to KZN plant

By: Irma Venter 29th March 2022 As part of a growth strategy long in the making, Bell Equipment will increasingly shift articulated dump truck (ADT) production from its Richards Bay plant, in KwaZulu-Natal, to the northern hemisphere, says CEO Leon Goosen. The Bell ADT is the group’s high-volume product, with 80% of the world... →

The Bell ADT

Renewable-energy transition ‘only true path to energy security’

By: Terence Creamer 29th March 2022 The renewable energy transition “is the only true path to energy security”, United Nations secretary-general António Guterres has asserted, adding that the current energy crisis, precipitated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, underlined the need to accelerate rather than slow the transition. In a... →

United Nations secretary-general António Guterres

Unemployment rises to a record 35.3%

By: Donna Slater 29th March 2022 South Africa's unemployment rate increased to a new record of 35.5% in the fourth quarter of 2021, a 0.4 percentage point increase on the 34.9% recorded in the third quarter. This is the highest the unemployment rate has been since Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) started recording quarterly... →

Steel Master Plan to remain ineffectual unless focus is narrowed, Macsteel CEO warns

By: Terence Creamer 28th March 2022 Without far greater focus and prioritisation, Macsteel CEO Mike Benfield believes the Steel Master Plan will remain captive to high levels of ambition with limited real-world effectiveness. There has been little implementation progress since the master plan’s official launch in 2021, when... →

Macsteel CEO Mike Benfield

Association of quantity surveyors welcomes police unit dedicated to construction mafia

By: Irma Venter 28th March 2022 The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) says it welcomes the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that a special police unit is being set up to deal with “the construction mafia that has been disrupting businesses in the country for years”. The association says it has... →

Renergen’s share price rises on CEF’s R1bn investment in the Virginia gas project

By: Simone Liedtke 28th March 2022 The JSE share price of emerging integrated energy producer Renergen rose by more than 10% on March 28 after the company announced that the State-owned Central Energy Fund (CEF) would acquire a 10% interest in its Tetra4 subsidiary for R1-billion. The transaction remains subject to various... →

South Africa’s electricity plan ‘underestimating’ new generation needs, former Eskom CEO warns

By: Terence Creamer 25th March 2022 South Africa’s current Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is significantly underestimating what new capacity should be being built to cater for the decommissioning of the coal-fired power stations and any future demand growth, African Rainbow Energy and Power (AREP) CEO Brian Dames has warned.... →

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter (with mic) speaks during an energy transition breakaway session at the South Africa Investment Conference 2022

Photo by Creamer Media Chief Photographer Donna Slater
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter (with mic) speaks during an energy transition breakaway session at the South Africa Investment Conference 2022

BMW aims for 25% of sales to be online by 2025

By: Irma Venter 25th March 2022 BMW says it plans to sell around 25% of its vehicles entirely online by 2025. Announcing its results earlier this month in Germany, the car maker said the introduction of two new electric models, the iX and i4, has seen the group “significantly expand its digitalisation of the customer interface”. →

Stellantis to add 10 dealerships, 11 new products this year

By: Irma Venter 25th March 2022 Stellantis South Africa launched 11 new products into the local market last year, with another 11 planned for this year. Stellantis has now almost completed a full year of operation in South Africa following a global merger that grouped Fiat, Fiat Professional, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, Jeep,... →

The just energy transition

25th March 2022 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the South Africa Investment Conference, during which the energy transition emerged as a theme; discussion around a just energy transition; and the uncertainty in the energy market. →

The just energy transition

Ramaphosa uses investment gathering to highlight reform progress, as pledges nudge R1.2tr target

By: Terence Creamer 24th March 2022 President Cyril Ramaphosa used the fourth South Africa Investment Conference to reassure investors that steady progress was being made on implementing the economic reforms that are regarded as crucial for raising levels of growth and employment. In his opening address he highlighted the reform... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
President Cyril Ramaphosa

AfDB to set up facility to support South Africa’s just energy transition

By: Terence Creamer 24th March 2022 African Development Bank (AfDB) president Dr Akinwumi Adesina says the development finance institution is ready to support South Africa’s transition from coal to renewable energy and announced that a just energy transition facility was being created by the bank to support the country’s transition... →

African Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina

African Development Bank president Dr Akinwumi Adesina outlines the bank's commitment to supporting South Africa's just energy transition in address to the fourth South Africa Investment Conference in Johannesburg. Source: SABC. Editing: Nicholas Boyd

IEA wants mandate broadened to include critical minerals to avert new Russia-like vulnerabilities

By: Terence Creamer 23rd March 2022 The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for an expansion of the organisation’s mandate and membership to enable it to support the global transition to a “clean and secure” energy future and to ensure that the world’s climate goals do not become “another victim of Russia’s... →

IEA executive director Fatih Birol

Ford’s Silverton plant ready to produce next-gen Ranger

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 23rd March 2022 Following a R15.8-bilion investment in its Silverton assembly plant and major supplier factories, as announced in 2021, Ford Motor Company Southern Africa is geared up to support production of the next-generation Ford Ranger, which is expected to be released locally later this year, along with... →

An image showing a pre-production model of the new Ford Ranger

Photo by Creamer Media's Tasneem Bulbulia
New Ford Ranger prototype

SA consumers under pressure, warns WesBank’s Msibi

By: Irma Venter 23rd March 2022 Asset finance group WesBank forecasts that around 525 000 new vehicles will be sold in the local market this year, up from the 464 122 units sold last year. However, growing inflation, increasing fuel prices, low and stagnant economic growth, rising interest rates, the continued semi-conductor... →

Ghana Msibi

Warning of African supply disruptions as Europe moves to wean itself off Russian energy

By: Terence Creamer 22nd March 2022 African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) executive secretary Anibor Kragha believes the fossil-fuel price and supply disruptions unfolding following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underline the urgency of Africa investing in indigenous capacity to improve security of supply. He cautions... →

ARDA executive secretary Anibor Kragha

DWS to accelerate anti-pollution activities

By: Natasha Odendaal 22nd March 2022 Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu on March 22 said the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is fast-tracking the activities of the Anti-Pollution Task Team to deal with all water quality pollution challenges in the country. “As a department, we have acknowledged that our country’s... →

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu

Innovative citizen ownership model proposed for just transition to renewables

By: Terence Creamer 22nd March 2022 A financial model that enables the building of public renewables assets using funds from citizens, who receive ongoing inflation-adjusted payments in return that are linked to the asset’s power purchase agreement (PPA), is being proposed for integration into South Africa’s planned just energy... →

Clyde Mallinson

IEA releases 10-point plan for reducing oil use as South Africa mulls mitigation options

By: Terence Creamer 18th March 2022 The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released a 10-point plan for speedily cutting oil demand in response to the emerging global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The agency calculates that, if implemented by all advanced economies, the plan will reduce demand by... →

Inflation, security of supply concerns as fuel prices rise

18th March 2022 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the impact of rising fuel prices on domestic inflation and what options South Africa is considering to limit that impact; security of supply concerns and the big decisions that need to be made with regard to... →

Inflation, security of supply concerns as fuel prices rise

Ramaphosa says all levers to be used to cushion country against rising fuel and food prices

By: Terence Creamer 17th March 2022 President Cyril Ramaphosa says government will use all the levers at its disposal to cushion South Africans from the effects of rising fuel and food prices, including by speedily implementing possible changes arising from a review of the Basic Fuel Price (BFP) formula. In an oral reply to a... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

DBSA aims to establish a National Water Programme

By: Natasha Odendaal 17th March 2022 The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is working to develop and implement a National Water Programme that will include a water partnership office that could replicate some of the successes seen in the energy sector. The programme is aimed at establishing a “programmatic approach” to... →

Metair delivers record performance despite supply-chain woes

By: Irma Venter 17th March 2022 Metair delivered a record financial performance in 2021, despite severe supply-chain challenges. The JSE-listed group is an international manufacturer, distributor and retailer of automotive components and energy storage solutions. →

Riaz Haffejee

National Infrastructure Plan 2050 leans heavily on private sector to close R2tr finance gap

By: Terence Creamer 16th March 2022 The first iteration of the updated National Infrastructure Plan 2050 (NIP 2050) points to a substantial finance gap of at least R2-trillion that will have to be closed if South Africa is to build the economic infrastructure required to deliver the growth and social objectives outlined in the... →

Infrastructure South Africa head Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

Standard Bank halts new coal-power funding, but backs gas as ‘transition fuel’

By: Terence Creamer 16th March 2022 The Standard Bank Group has become the latest South African bank to confirm that it will no longer finance new coal-fired power plants or support the expansion of existing coal-fired power plants as part of its newly unveiled commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions from its portfolio of... →

Standard Bank Group Corporate and Investment Banking CEO Kenny Fihla

Volvo Car South Africa’s local range now almost entirely electrified

By: Irma Venter 15th March 2022 Volvo Car South Africa (SA) says its local range of vehicles is now almost entirely electrified as the Swedish premium brand moves a step closer to its global ambition of transforming into a fully electric car company by 2030. The updated South African line-up now comprises predominantly... →

Afrimat Construction Index muted by slow infrastructure rollout

By: Irma Venter 15th March 2022 The Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) has staged a swift recovery from the Covid-19 induced slump that occurred during the second quarter of 2020, increasing by 74% within only two quarters. Since then, however, progress has been muted, owing mainly to the sedate rollout of government’s... →

Nersa and DFFE insist Transnet remains compliant after serious theft-induced fuel spills

By: Terence Creamer 15th March 2022 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment (DFFE) both insist that Transnet Pipelines remains compliant with its licence conditions and with environmental legislation in relation to its response to recent theft-induced fuel... →

Photo by Creamer Media
The Transnet Multiproduct Pipeline runs from Durban to Heidelberg

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