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Infrastructure News

Eskom moves to finalise just energy transition framework as shutdown of Grootvlei, Komati and Hendrina draws near

By: Terence Creamer 17th November 2020 State-owned power utility Eskom expects to complete its socioeconomic impact studies by the end of March for the planned shutdown of the Grootvlei, Komati and Hendrina power stations, in Mpumalanga, which are the first of ten coal plants scheduled for decommissioning by 2040. The decommissioning... →

WBHO sees plunge in profit as Covid-19, loss-making projects take toll

By: Irma Venter 17th November 2020 Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) on Tuesday reported a massive turnaround in fortunes from 12 months ago when it boasted R513-million in operating profit for the year ended June 30, to a position where it suffered an operating loss of R585-million. Group CEO Wolfgang Neff cited the main reasons... →

OTGC abandons plan to develop Ngqura liquid bulk storage terminal on viability concerns

By: Creamer Media Reporter 17th November 2020 Joint venture company Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo (OTGC) has decided not to proceed with the development of a liquid bulk storage terminal in the Port of Ngqura. The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) in 2011 awarded OTGC preferred bidder status to develop a liquid bulk storage terminal in... →

Municipalities have integrated 282 MW of embedded power and see benefits in embracing transition

By: Terence Creamer 16th November 2020 A total of 29 South African municipalities have already approved tariff frameworks for small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), with 282 MW of mostly rooftop solar capacity having be formally integrated into municipal networks, the South African Local Government Association (Salga) reports. The... →

Kangnas Wind Farm starts commercial operations

By: Donna Slater 16th November 2020 The Kangnas Wind Farm on November 15 achieved its commercial operations date, making it the first Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) Bid Window 4 wind farm in the Northern Cape to come on stream. Construction started in June, 2018 but was halted by the... →

The Northern Cape-based Kangnas Wind Farm

Global Water Partnership Southern Africa teams up with DBSA to realise water projects

By: Marleny Arnoldi 13th November 2020 The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that seeks to promote investment and collaboration for water and sanitation projects in the Southern Africa region. The MoU was signed by... →

Structural integrity aids building life cycle

13th November 2020 Asset management company Collaborit has successfully started penetrating the mining and industrial sectors, providing expert solutions and services into the sustainable, proactive management of structural assets such as steel, concrete and masonry. →

THE END IS ALWAYS CERTAIN Every structure has a limited design life and adequate budgeting must be allowed for to ensure regular maintenance is done to ensure this design life is reached

Pandemic challenges exacerbated for industry

13th November 2020 While construction sites were able to reopen in early May for civil projects, ongoing delays in terms of both the public sector being slow to change gears and client’s additional regulations around health and safety, have exacerbated challenges for both property development and construction... →

COVID-19 CONUNDRUM The Power Group’s construction arm has been hit with challenges no one could have foreseen with Covid-19

Economy to affect home builders more

By: Mamaili Mamaila 13th November 2020 The effects of Covid-19 and the sluggish economy remain the biggest challenge for the civil engineering and construction sectors. →

SONGEZO BOOI After almost 12 years, the home-building industry is still struggling to reach its former peak

Infrastructure recovery roadmap mulled

By: Mamaili Mamaila 13th November 2020 If South Africa is to have any hope of economic recovery, no sector can afford to do things the way it did before 2020, says the International Zinc Association (IZA). →

REFINED STRUCTURES The construction of a new zinc refinery will reduce dependence on special high-grade zinc imports, and provide a much-needed boost for the construction industry

Construction group welcomes green shoots after lull

By: Marleny Arnoldi 13th November 2020 After what has been months of uncertainty about when new projects will come to tender or whether awarded projects will progress, construction company Concor notes that work continues apace on its contracts spread across the construction, infrastructure, civils and mining sectors. →

Lucas Tseki discusses Concor's project's in progress and his takeaways from Covid-19

Hard-hit construction sector pins recovery hopes on infrastructure plan

By: Natasha Odendaal 13th November 2020 South Africa’s construction industry ground to a halt on March 27, as the nation entered a hard lockdown that would last weeks, in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic which spurred governments worldwide to impose emergency restrictions. Six months later, the industry is starting to get back... →

European firms say South Africa’s poor utilities deter investment

By: Bloomberg 12th November 2020 European businesses are delaying investment in South Africa because of poor power and water supply and the costs of complying with Black economic empowerment legislation, representatives of an industry body said. South Africa has suffered intermittent power outages since 2008 after the state... →

SANEDI rolls out cool roof project in Cape Town

By: Simone Liedtke 11th November 2020 The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is rolling out 26 000 m2 of cool roofing technology in the City of Cape Town as part of the Cool Roofs and Insulation Collaboration. The purpose of the roll out is to demonstrate the power of passive cooling when cool coatings are... →

WCPDF sceptical about real change with State infrastructure tenders, should they realise

By: Marleny Arnoldi 11th November 2020 The Western Cape Property Development Forum (WCPDF) says that, while the “robust infrastructure pipeline” is supposed so set South Africa’s economy back on track and kickstart the flaying property development and construction industries, it remains to be seen if the culture of change around... →

Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City nearing completion

By: Simone Liedtke 9th November 2020 Construction of the new concept Courtyard Hotel at Waterfall City, in Midrand, is nearing completion, with the hotel set to open in the first quarter of 2021. The ten-storey hotel will feature a rooftop function area and a 100-seater conference facility. In addition to 164 rooms (16 of which are... →

South Africa aims to nail down R664bn in investment pledges at Nov gathering amid Covid-19 ‘shock’

By: Terence Creamer 9th November 2020 The third yearly South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC), which will take place on November 17 and 18, will focus primarily on ensuring the investment pledges of R664-billion made in 2018 and 2019 are not derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Government also intends using the platform to... →

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel

KwaZulu-Natal automotive supplier park to be operational from 2021

By: Yvonne Silaule 9th November 2020 Durban’s R2.2-billion automotive supplier park special economic zone will be operational in 2021, with automotive manufacturer Toyota as one of the agreed tenants. It is projected that 1 339 jobs will be created as a result of the investment. →

R292m road construction to unlock economic opportunities for KZN rural community

By: Yvonne Silaule 9th November 2020 As part of government’s Covid-19 economic recovery strategy, more than 2 300 jobs will be created through the newly launched R292-million P714 road construction project, in KwaZulu-Natal. The construction of the road is expected to benefit the community of Ndwedwe, in the iLembe district... →

UK and US groups partner on small modular nuclear reactors

By: Rebecca Campbell 9th November 2020 UK-based global major industrial technology group Rolls-Royce and giant US private-sector electricity utility Exelon have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the development and operation of small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plants (NPPs). Rolls-Royce is leading a... →

Photo by Rolls-Royce
Artist’s impression of a UKSMR plant

India can be prime public-private partnership example for Africa

By: Marleny Arnoldi 6th November 2020 With India having successfully implemented many phases of what is the world’s largest public-private partnership (PPP) programme, it has experience and expertise to transfer to African countries. Panellists during the last day of the Indo-Africa virtual summit, which was held from November 4 to... →

Saice pledges collaboration for proper planning in infrastructure project rollout

By: Marleny Arnoldi 6th November 2020 The South African Institution of Civil Engineers (Saice) has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s latest call for the public and private sectors to work together in preparation for infrastructure projects that will be rolled out to help revive the ailing economy. The President spoke during the... →

Cooling equipment to increase energy efficiency of data centres

By: Cameron Mackay 6th November 2020 There is a significant push to provide energy efficient technologies for data centre applications to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce energy costs. Consequently, data centres can save significantly in terms of energy and associated costs by ensuring their cooling solutions are designed... →

RORY REID MPT are well-known for our critical power solutions, but need to grow the market awareness of our ideal HVAC applications in the data centre arena

Company releases efficient lighting range

6th November 2020 Lighting technology manufacturer BEKA Schréder last month announced the launch of the ECOBAY, a light-emitting-diode (LED) lighting range with a high return on investment. According to BEKA Schréder, ECOBAY is the ideal luminaire for lighting industrial facilities at optimised light levels, and... →

LIGHTING THE WAY ECOBAY has a long lifetime and requires low maintenance, as lamps do not need to be replaced for more than 10 years

Noticeable growth in smart home market

By: Cameron Mackay 6th November 2020 There has been noteworthy growth in the local smart home and building automation market in the past three years, owing to the growing demand for energy efficiency, says automation solutions provider ElectroMechanica (EM) product manager Ryan Whitelaw. EM has focused on expanding its product... →

AUTOMATION AT HOME Coviva is a wireless, smart home control and retrofit technology system that can be used to retrofit older buildings with smart automation solutions

Pandemic prompts local focus on energy efficiency

By: Cameron Mackay 6th November 2020 Owing to Covid-19, the South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) has witnessed an increase in the number of new applications from companies for the Section 12L Energy Efficiency tax incentive. “With companies aiming to be competitive under the pandemic and remain in business,... →

BARRY BREDENKAMP The economic benefits of energy efficiency are indisputable and will assist companies that are re-starting their operations

Eskom says it needs R23bn more from tariffs in 2021 to remain a going concern

By: Terence Creamer 5th November 2020 State-owned electricity utility Eskom argued on Thursday that it required additional revenue of R23-billion for the upcoming financial year to remain a going concern and told the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) that further tariff increases, beyond the 5.22% already approved for... →

Wind power continues to show record growth, despite Covid-19 crisis

By: Simone Liedtke 5th November 2020 Wind power will continue to show record growth over the next five years, despite the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis, and will “make a crucial contribution to economic recovery”, says the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). →

Ekurhuleni ready to exchange ideas during World Town Planning Day

By: Sane Dhlamini 5th November 2020 The City of Ekurhuleni will join the world in commemorating World Town Planning Day on November 8, bringing together role-players in the planning fraternity to exchange ideas that improve city planning. This year’s World Planning Day, also known as World Urbanism Day, will be commemorated under... →

Covid-19 accelerates domestic sustainable finance market – Standard Bank

By: Donna Slater 4th November 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has heightened the focus on climate change and financial instruments that promote sustainable economic development, Standard Bank group CEO Sim Tshabalala noted in the latest episode of the ClimateBiz podcast series hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In... →

Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan presents opportunity to build a better economy, says Saice

By: Donna Slater 4th November 2020 The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan tabled by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October, provides an opportunity to build a better structured economy, reports South African Institution of Civil Engineering CEO Vishaal Lutchman. Following Ramaphosa’s announcement of the plan, Finance Minister... →

French firms set to make R14bn in fresh investment pledges to South Africa

By: Terence Creamer 4th November 2020 French Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Minister Franck Riester, who is leading a business delegation to South Africa this week, reports that French firms will follow-up their R20-billion in investment commitments made to South Africa in 2019 with new promises worth a further... →

Credible pipeline of projects seen as key to achieving R1-trillion infrastructure goal

By: Terence Creamer 3rd November 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa has highlighted the importance of project preparation to unlocking the mostly private finance that will be needed to realise government’s goal of investing R1-trillion in infrastructure over the coming four years and turning South Africa into a “building site”. Speaking... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa addresses South Africa infrastructure roundtable

By: African News Agency 3rd November 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa is addressing an Infrastructure South Africa project preparation round-table and market place in Johannesburg, his office said on Tuesday. The forum aligns with one of the priorities Ramaphosa presented last month when he launched an economic reconstruction and recovery... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Eskom introduces 400 kV transmission line construction project to municipalities

By: Simone Liedtke 2nd November 2020 State-owned power utility Eskom has introduced its project for the construction of the 282 km of 400 kV transmission line, with associated feeder and transformer bays, which will be construction between the Gromis substation, in the Northern Cape, and the Juno substation, in the Western Cape. The... →

IPP Office extends bid deadline for R40bn risk-mitigation programme

By: Terence Creamer 2nd November 2020 South Africa’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Office has confirmed an extension to the bid submission deadline, to December 22, for the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), under which government aims to procure some 2 000 MW of dispatchable generation... →

Company set for expansion despite difficulties

By: Mamaili Mamaila 30th October 2020 Despite Africa’s holding much promise in terms of business development, the business dynamics in African countries have been severely affected by the effects of Covid-19. →

DANIEL PETROV Africa is the future and remains so, even in a depressed economic environment

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