From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.
For over 30 years, Ash Resources has turned a waste product of Eskom’s pulverised coal-fired power stations into an environmentally-friendly and sustainable building material. Schalk Burger finds out some alternative uses for this versatile product.

Schalk Burger:
Ash Resources MD Daniel Pettersson speaks about other applications for ash in agriculture and road construction, similar to uses in Europe and the US, besides the dominant use in South Africa to produce cement.

Ash Resources MD Daniel Pettersson

Schalk Burger:
Ash Resources notes that using ash in other applications will reduce the amount of ash in Eskom stock piles and can stimulate other industries.

Shannon de Ryhove:
Other news making headlines this week: South Africa’s public-private partnership fumbling lops R20-billion off Group Five’s project pipeline; Gauteng has the highest OECD metro-region unemployment rate; and new machinery has added to Osborn Engineered Products’ offering.

The cancellation or delay in the awarding of public-private partnership (PPP) projects in recent weeks had shaved R20-billion of the R138-billion pipeline of projects Group Five was pursuing.

Group Five CEO Mike Upton

At 26.0% in the first quarter this year, the Gauteng city-region has the highest unemployment rate among about twenty metropolitan territories reviewed by the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation.

OECD representative Michael Donovan

Machines from US-based Astec Underground, Trencor, Roadtec, Breaker Technology Inc and American Augers are now being supplied and supported in the South African market by bulk materials handling plant and equipment manufacturer Osborn Engineered Products.

Astec Underground product sales manager Peet Venter

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.

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