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Infrastructure News

Renewables to take lion’s share of energy investment in 2021, but still falling short of net-zero goal

By: Terence Creamer 2nd June 2021 Renewables projects are expected to account for 70% of a record $820-billion in new power generation investment in 2021, as global electricity deployments exceed those of oil and gas for the sixth year in a row. Nevertheless, a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report warns that energy... →

Solar energy to supply 70% of Chryso factory's electricity requirement

By: Schalk Burger 1st June 2021 Cement additives manufacturing company Chryso Southern Africa has installed a solar electricity generating system at its Jet Park premises, in Gauteng. The system will generate almost 240 MWh/y, says Chryso Southern Africa CEO Norman Seymore. →

Documents show Cubans engineers will be employed by the water dept, states Solidarity

By: Schalk Burger 1st June 2021 The public statements made by Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu about whether Cuban water engineers will be employed by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) are "materially different" from what is stated in documents submitted to the North Gauteng High Court... →

New global report highlights growing demand for wind workforce training in South Africa

By: Terence Creamer 1st June 2021 South Africa is identified in a new international report as one of ten countries where training efforts will need to be intensified and accelerated over the coming five years to match the skills demand that will be created during the construction, installation, operation and maintenance of new... →

Mozambique launches construction of $1bn power plant, transmission line

By: Reuters 1st June 2021 Mozambique on Monday began construction of gas-to-power plant and transmission line projects worth $1 billion in the southern province of Inhambane as the government aims to boost energy supply. The World Bank is one of the financing partners of the infrastructure projects, alongside the United... →

Steel backlog won’t be solved by eliminating safeguard duties, AMSA avers

By: Terence Creamer 31st May 2021 Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has rebuffed increasingly vociferous calls for the elimination of safeguard duties to ease ongoing supply constraints and price increases in the domestic market. CEO Kobus Verster acknowledges that some backlogs, which began to emerge in late 2019... →

Photo by Creamer Media
AMSA CEO Kobus Verster

R419m student housing development for University of Fort Hare's Alice campus now complete

By: Schalk Burger 31st May 2021 With the completion of the 12-block, 1 440-bed Alice Student Village Phase 2 built over two years, the University of Fort Hare (UFH) has 6 049 available beds in Alice, in the Eastern Cape, which are enough to accommodate 70% of students on its Alice campus. The R419-million greenfield student... →

NamPower calls for bids for Anixas II power station’s construction

By: Donna Slater 31st May 2021 Namibian power utility Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) has called for bids for the engineering, procurement and construction of the 50 MW Anixas II power station. The power station will make use of dual-fuel technologies to be used in an internal combustion reciprocating engine plant. →

Obituary: Mario Pietromartire, a Southern African tunnelling pioneer

31st May 2021 Mario Pietromartire, founder, and MD of Bomar Projects, passed away on 11th May 2021, aged 88. Born in Italy, he trained in the Italian military flying school before coming to South Africa to attend the State School of Mines. After a period in the gold mines, aged 36, he was appointed by... →

Mario Pietromartire (centre) with the team that worked on the Maguga Dam Diversion and Transfer Tunnels and an inset showing a more recent photo of Pietromartire

Davies calls for a New Deal-style recovery strategy that eschews austerity

By: Terence Creamer 28th May 2021 Former Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies is urging the South African government, in which he served as a Cabinet Minister from 2009 to 2019, to implement a New Deal-style recovery programme to address the economic damage arising from both Covid-19 and more than a decade of economic drift.... →

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Dr Rob Davies

Afreximbank, KZN sign MoU to partner on trade, investment opportunities

By: Yvonne Silaule 27th May 2021 The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the KwaZulu-Natal province to co-invest in opportunities to enhance development, trade and investment. As part of the MoU, Afreximbank will channel funding to finance certain infrastructure... →

Stefanutti’s full-year loss narrows to R111m

By: Marleny Arnoldi 27th May 2021 Construction company Stefanutti Stocks has posted an operating loss of R111-million for the financial year ended February 28, owing to adverse market conditions and reduced contract revenue as a result of Covid-19. This compares to a restarted loss of R1.02-billion for the financial year ended... →

Stefanutti Stocks to dispose of mining services division

By: Simone Liedtke 26th May 2021 The disposal of construction engineering company Stefanutti Stocks’ mining services division, comprising the materials handling and tailings subdivisions, has been approved by shareholders. The disposal excludes the contract mining subdivision. →

Molapo bridge to improve connectivity in Jabulani, Soweto

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 26th May 2021 Improved connectivity and mobility are imminent in the Jabulani Node in Soweto, upon the completion of the Molapo bridge, the City of Johannesburg says. Now 80% complete, the bridge will connect the community of Molapo to the Jabulani Node and the Jabulani central business district (CBD). →

Molapo bridge

Following long period of disruption, potential renewables bidders show strong interest in South Africa again

By: Terence Creamer 26th May 2021 South Africa’s renewable-energy procurement programme, which finally resumed again on April 12 following a seven-year disruption, continues to attract strong interest with some 800 people, including representatives from over 300 registered bidders, participating in a virtual bidders conference on... →

IPP Office head Bernard Magoro speaks during the bidders conference

‘Ambiguous’ draft Electricity Regulation Act amendment will fail to unlock investment

By: Terence Creamer 26th May 2021 A regulatory reform exempting small and medium-sized electricity generation projects from the requirement of a National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) licence is an “obvious and easy way to liberate a huge pipeline of investment that will assist South Africa to have sufficient... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Professor Anton Eberhard

City of Joburg tries to strike balance between revenue, relief in new budget

By: Marleny Arnoldi 25th May 2021 In its R73.3-billion budget statement for the 2021/22 financial year, the City of Joburg (CoJ) has attempted to strike a balance between the needs of residents and the institution’s ability to provide services, considering continued Covid-19 impacts. The budget comprises of R65.1-billion in... →

Finance MMC Jolidee Matongo presents the City of Joburg budget for 2021/22 and the medium-term

Transnet aims to implement three private sector participation projects this year

By: Terence Creamer 25th May 2021 Freight logistics group Transnet expects to proceed with three private sector participation (PSP) projects before the end of the year, with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan confirming that the State-owned group’s new strategy is to drive volume growth “by developing key strategic... →

De Lille outlines public works dept’s priorities

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 25th May 2021 The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has been allocated R25.5-billion over the medium-term. These funds will be spent on seven priority areas, Minister Patricia de Lille said during her budget vote on May 25. The department’s budget allocation for this financial year is... →

Eskom debt solution remains a ‘work in progress’ despite reduction to R401bn

By: Terence Creamer 25th May 2021 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan reported on Tuesday that, while Eskom was able to reduce its debt by R83-billion, from R484-billion to R401-billion, during the 2021 financial year, efforts to find a lasting solution to the State-owned utility’s unsustainable debt remained a “work in... →

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Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

50 MW reform won't hurt Eskom and would stimulate recovery, leading proponent outlines in submission

By: Terence Creamer 25th May 2021 The organisation whose initial analysis indicated that reforming Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act to exempt embedded generation projects of at least 50 MW in size from the country’s cumbersome licencing process could unlock 5 000 MW of new capacity within five years has made its... →

Department of Transport identifies priority corridors for PRASA service recovery

By: Yvonne Silaule 24th May 2021 The Department of Transport has identified priority corridors across provinces for a service recovery by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) in the financial year, Minister Fikile Mbalula said on May 24. PRASA will, over the medium term, be allocated 27.2% or about R57-billion of... →

DPWI, SIU launch Infrastructure Built Anti-Corruption Forum

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 24th May 2021 Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille and Special Investigating Unit (SIU) head Advocate Andy Mothibi on May 24 launched the new Infrastructure Built Anti-Corruption Forum (IBACF). They were also joined by Public Prosecutions Deputy National Director Advocate Rodney De Kock... →

Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille outlines the forum, its members, and its importance.

EIUG rejects ‘arbitrary licensing threshold’ as 10 MW versus 50 MW debate rages

By: Terence Creamer 24th May 2021 Large electricity consumers have again called for proposed amendments to Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, which governs the registration and licensing of distributed-generation plants, to be “meaningful” in a context where load-shedding cost the economy up to R160-billion in 2020... →

Urgent need to ramp up private vaccination sites to match dose delivery schedule

By: Terence Creamer 21st May 2021 The number of private vaccination sites will need to be ramped-up aggressively in the coming weeks if South Africa is to reach the daily inoculation tempo of 192 000 required by the start of June to position the country to consume the millions of vaccine doses that have been secured for its... →

Operation Vulindlela ‘close to resolving’ debate on easing path for distributed power projects

By: Terence Creamer 21st May 2021 Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo reports that Operation Vulindlela is close to resolving an ongoing policy discussion within government on the reforms needed to increase electricity supply “by allowing the private sector to invest more freely in its own generation”. Delivering his Budget... →

Construction turnaround requires collaboration

By: Darren Parker 21st May 2021 Partnerships between the private and public sectors are paramount to turning the built environment and construction sectors around in South Africa, says engineering firm Aecom Africa programme cost consulting director Dean Narainsamy. “This will encourage collaborative thinking and combine the... →

DEAN NARAINSAMY We are losing key resources and skills sets to emigration

Direct cement sales to industry drop

By: Darren Parker 21st May 2021 About 30% of cement sales in South Africa are going directly to the construction industry for construction projects, which is down from about 50% being sold directly to the construction industry about ten years ago, says cement manufacturer AfriSam sales & marketing executive Richard Tomes. “We... →

CONCRETE ASSURANCE Quality is not only about the product delivered but also the entire value chain

Sustainable construction ethos prioritised by manufacturer

By: Darren Parker 21st May 2021 Cement additive manufacturing company CHRYSO Southern Africa has installed a solar electricity generating system at its Jet Park manufacturing facility, in Gauteng; this forms part of the company’s efforts to lower its carbon footprint. The installation was completed in January and consists of... →

ENERGY EFFICIENCY The solar installation provides about 70% of the facility’s energy requirement

Construction sector builds hope

By: Darren Parker 21st May 2021 Although there is uncertainty regarding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy and the construction sector, hope remains as long as South African policy makers continue to recognise that the built environment sector is an important pillar in terms of stimulating the economy, says... →

Photo by Adobe
BLUE SKIES AHEAD Hope remains for the construction sector as policy makers seem to be committed to infrastructure spend

Safety critical to ensuring ‘solid business case’ for projects

By: Simone Liedtke 21st May 2021 Safety excellence is not separate from construction or operational excellence – a safe site avoids the cost of incidents and improves personnel’s motivation and the company’s relationships with clients, thereby forming a “solid business case” for a project, says South Africa-based contractor... →

CRAIG LAWRENCE
The Covid-19 pandemic has added a layer of difficulty to focusing on safety

Concor’s Craig Lawrence talks about the company’s health and safety approach and protocols

Africa’s financial capital sets 35% renewable energy target

By: Bloomberg 20th May 2021 Johannesburg, Africa’s dominant financial center, wants to meet 35% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and will seek proposals for privately supplied power by August. South Africa’s biggest city, with a population of over 5 million people, is looking for its own power suppliers... →

Engineering advocacy necessary to contribute to policy, infrastructure decisions

By: Schalk Burger 19th May 2021 The engineering industry, as the primary designer and implementer of solutions, must advocate its priorities and secure its place and role in decision-making to benefit the public, businesses and society through effective infrastructure, says American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)... →

Renewable energy uptake on the rise in South Africa, says Enel Green Power

By: Simone Liedtke 19th May 2021 Renewable energy company Enel Green Power South Africa country manager William Price comments that, despite the delays experienced with the procurement of capacity under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), he is not surprised by the country’s... →

Enel Green Power South Africa country manager William Price

Rising African challenges present investment opportunities, says Fidic

By: Schalk Burger 18th May 2021 The growing challenges in Africa can be addressed through the availability of green and climate-resilience funding, as well as impact investment, if engineering solutions support sustainable, environment-friendly and climate resilient built environment and infrastructure development, speakers... →

Mantashe again swats away calls for 50 MW licence-exemption cap on distributed plants

By: Terence Creamer 18th May 2021 Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has again swatted aside calls for a 50 MW licence-exemption threshold for distributed-generation plants, describing such calls, which have been made by organised business and even endorsed by Eskom, as “academic” in light of a departmental... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

Patel says vision for R200bn in additional localisation has top-level corporate backing

By: Terence Creamer 18th May 2021 Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel announced that an “accord” had been reached at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) to drive progressive localisation of up to R200-billion of additional production over a five-year period. Delivering his virtual... →

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel

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