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Tuesday, October 14, 2008.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

International brewer SABMiller on Tuesday said that the prospects for the second half of the financial year were becoming "increasingly uncertain". This is in light of deteriorating global economic conditions, weakening consumer demand and volatile exchange rates.

However, the group said that its financial performance for the six months ended September 2008, remained in line with its expectations.

Overall, lager sales volumes increased by 3%, compared with a year earlier. Organic volumes were up 1%, compared with the 9% growth achieved the year before.

The South African National Energy Research Institute's programme manager for green transport has labelled biofuels as the country's number one short-term option for alternative transport fuel.

Dr Titus Mathe said that, although the country had a range of alternative fuels available, biodiesel was very comparable to petrol and diesel in terms of energy content. It also offered a favourable impact on energy security, as it could be locally produced.

Mathe stated that implementing biodiesel in the transport sector would offer up the potential for upstream job creation, especially in rural areas. Biodiesel could also make use of existing infrastructure, so there's not much that would have to be invested in terms of infrastructure.

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Also making headlines:

Eskom may need some 2,1-million tons of steel over the next ten years.
The cement demand is still likely to outrun supply, despite the plans for new capacity.
The world's economic turmoil highlights the value of Indian-Brazil-South African trade links.
And, South African trade conditions are still 'depressed and hesitant', but will be seen to be improving in 2009.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit engineeringnews.co.za.