Orion Minerals in final stages of Okiep acquisition

ASX- and JSE-listed Orion Minerals has reached the final stages of its acquisition of a controlling interest in the Okiep copper project, located about 570 km north of Cape Town in the Northern... 

TFR ramps up coal trains to 28 a week

State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has embarked on a ramp up of GF-class coal trains from 21 a week to 28 a week, supported by an injection of locomotives. This is part of Transnet’s recovery... 

Enhanced regulation, law enforcement needed to combat scrap metal theft

Enhanced regulation and enforcement are needed to address the challenges of scrap metal theft in South Africa and potentially lift the ban on scrap metal exports, research and advisory firm Birguid... 

ABB becomes minority investor in GridBeyond

Technology company ABB has joined investors EDP, ESB, TotalEnergies, Act and DublinBIC in becoming an investor in energy management solutions company GridBeyond, which uses artificial intelligence... 

Zimplats to become cash generative in next financial year despite challenging environment, CEO says

Platinum group metals (PGMs) miner Zimplats CEO Alexander Mhembere is confident about the company’s ability to become cash-generative in the next financial year, which starts in July, despite the... 

South African tech startups have three more days to enter Irish Tech Challenge

High-impact South African startups have until May 5 to submit their applications for the Irish Tech Challenge South Africa, which promises to provide winners global market access. The challenge is... 

AMSA to convert one Vanderbijlpark blast furnace to an electric arc furnace by 2028

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) CEO Kobus Verster has confirmed that the company will be converting one of its three blast furnaces into an electric arc furnace (EAF) within the next... 

AMSA expects to break ground on Vanderbijlpark’s 200 MW solar plant this year

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) is planning to start construction on a 200 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant at its Vanderbijlpark facility, in Gauteng, towards the end of the... 

Decarbonisation investment while paying carbon tax is impossible, says AMSA's Verster

Paying billions of rands in carbon tax while simultaneously investing in decarbonisation efforts is impossible, steel maker ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) CEO Kobus Verster has said. In South... 

Critical minerals, food crops at risk of climate disruption by 2050, report shows

More than 70% of critical minerals needed for the transition to net zero emissions will be at risk from climate disruption by 2050, professional services firm PwC says. The firm's latest report,... 

Aterian sells portion of its royalty over Rwanda lithium project

London-listed critical metal-focused exploration and development company Aterian has sold its portion of the net smelter return royalty (NSR) over the HCK lithium project, in Rwanda, for £200 000.... 

Altona appoints David Catterall as Sesana project consultant

London-listed Altona Rare Earths has appointed David Catterall as a consultant, with a special focus on the company's Sesana copper/silver project, in Botswana, where he will work closely with CEO... 

Thor reports lower revenue, profits for 2023

Gold mining and exploration company Thor Explorations has reported a $24-million year-on-year decrease in revenue from $165.2-million in 2022 to $141.2-million for the year ended December 31, 2023.... 

Transnet aims to defend its decision to partner with ICTSI at the DCT

State-owned Transnet has defended its decision to select Phillipines-based International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) as the preferred bidder for the establishment of a partnership to... 

Transnet volumes, revenue up, but falls short of recovery targets

State-owned Transnet has reported a 1.5% year-on-year improvement in the total rail volumes reaching 151.7-million tonnes at the end of March 2024, showcasing improvement in operational... 

EDF Renewables, partners building 1.2 GW of low-carbon power capacity

EDF Renewables is currently leading the construction of almost 1.2 GW of low-carbon power generation capacity in South Africa, comprised of 763 MW of wind power, 355 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV)... 

Collaboration crucial to ensuring PGM industry’s success

Creating greater synergies between competing platinum group metal (PGM) companies might be the only way for the industry to survive the current economic downturn, diversified miner... 

Tribunal approves Vitol’s buyout of Engen

The Competition Tribunal has approved the proposed acquisition of petrol station brand Engen by independent energy marketing and trading company Vitol Emerald, subject to a set of competition and... 

Creativity, innovation keep South Africa’s mining tech manufacturing industry competitive

An admirable degree of creativity exists within the South African mining technology and equipment manufacturing sector, giving manufacturers the necessary flexibility to weather the significant... 

Outa demands information on Sanral, Ceta tenders

Nonprofit watchdog the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has accused the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and the Construction Education and Training Authority (Ceta) of... 

Diamond council urges industry to transition to revised System Of Warranties urgently

The World Diamond Council’s (WDC’s) revised System of Warranties (SoW) is set to reach its first critical deadline on September 21, when it becomes obligatory for all rough diamond sales.   “We... 

Gauteng govt rolls out 6.3 MWh of solar power at 27 healthcare facilities

The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has installed and commissioned a combined equivalent of six independent microgrid power plants through the installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV)... 

SAWEA gearing up for seventh WindAc Africa conference

The seventh yearly WindAc Africa conference, organised by the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA), is drawing near. It will take place from October 1 to 3 at the Cape Town International... 

Nelson Mandela University-led consortium to develop green hydrogen feasibility study

A consortium led by Nelson Mandela University and boutique consultancy firm Ikigai Group has won a UK Government grant under the South Africa-UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions... 

South32 reports improved operating results for March quarter

Diversified miner South32 has reported an overall improvement in its operating results for the March quarter and record year-to-date production at Hillside Aluminium, in KwaZulu-Natal, and South... 

Project envisions rollout of smart LPG, solar systems, hydrogen stoves to 3.51m indigent households

Energy solutions company Kili Energy is spearheading a large-scale initiative, the Kili Energy Clean Energy Democratisation Project, to provide smart liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters and... 

Godolphin takes 100% control of Narraburra rare earths project

ASX-listed Godolphin Resources has agreed to acquire the remaining 49% interest in the flagship Narraburra rare earths elements (REE) project in New South Wales, Australia, in which it already... 

Sayona divests completely from Troilus

ASX-listed lithium producer Sayona Mining has divested about 19.2-million shares in TSX-listed Troilus Gold at C$0.63 a share through a block trade facilitated by Desjardins Capital Markets. The... 

Gold Road resumes mining at Gruyere

ASX-listed gold miner Gold Road Resources has announced the resumption of mining and processing operations at the Gruyere gold mine, in Western Australia. In its March 2024 quarterly report,... 

Decarbonised iron production possible using sodium, company says

A new process being pioneered by energy companies such as Israel-based Helios and Netherlands-based Alkalium proposes the use of sodium metal rather than coal or hydrogen to refine iron-ore into... 

Vizsla, Universal conclude merger

Canadian mineral exploration and development companies Vizsla Copper and Universal Copper have completed a merger arrangement whereby Vizsla acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding common... 

Sierra records 36% y/y increase in first-quarter copper production

For the first quarter of this year, TSX-listed copper producer Sierra Metals has recorded a 36% year-on-year increase in consolidated copper production of 11.2-million pounds from its two... 

Policy uncertainty index edging further into negative territory ahead of elections

The North-West University Business School Policy Uncertainty Index veered further into negative territory in the first quarter, at 65.8 index points, compared with the 65.5 index points recorded... 

Cryogenics technology, expertise crucial in future gas economy

Cryogenics technology and expertise are becoming increasingly important as South Africa plans on leaning into using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a major source of energy, Howden senior... 

South Africa needs 13 GW of gas-to-power capacity – more than the IRP envisions

Standard Bank head of Southern Africa’s oil and gas coverage Paul Eardley-Taylor has suggested that South Africa needs 13 GW of gas-to-power (GtP) capacity, rather than the 7.2 GW to 8.6 GW... 

Saldanha iron-ore terminal shut down for maintenance until Friday

State-owned Transnet Port Terminals’ (TPT’s) Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal has embarked on a five-day shutdown for the maintenance and servicing of equipment on two tipplers, starting on April 15. The... 

University of Pretoria inaugurates new immersive technology lab

The University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology has launched a new immersive technology lab at the Department of Information Science as a way of... 

ABB becomes minority investor in GridBeyond

Technology company ABB has joined investors EDP, ESB, TotalEnergies, Act and DublinBIC in becoming an investor in energy management solutions company GridBeyond, which uses artificial intelligence... 

Shanta reveals ‘encouraging results’ for West Kenya exploration project

Aim-listed gold producer Shanta Gold has revealed “encouraging results” in an exploration update for the West Kenya project, in Kenya, for the fourth quarter of last year and the first quarter of... 

Brazil rare earths project shares key similarities with Phalaborwa – Rainbow

Rare earths miner Rainbow Rare Earths has revealed that the results of mineralogy and hydrometallurgical testwork recently carried out on phosphogypsum material from the Mosaic Company’s Uberaba...