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Electrification

Electrification is the process of replacing technologies and systems powered by fossil fuels or other energy sources with those powered by electricity. In the mining and industrial sectors, electrification involves transitioning from diesel-powered equipment, vehicles and machinery to electric alternatives, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving operational efficiency. The shift encompasses underground and surface mining fleets, processing plants, transportation systems and ancillary infrastructure. Electrification is driven by climate commitments, regulatory pressure, rising diesel costs and advances in battery technology and renewable energy integration. In mining, electric vehicles and equipment offer lower operating costs, reduced ventilation requirements underground, quieter operation and improved worker health and safety. The transition requires substantial capital investment in charging infrastructure, grid connections and equipment replacement, alongside workforce retraining. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are increasingly paired with electrification projects to decarbonise operations further. Copper demand is expected to rise significantly as electrification expands, given the metal's essential role in electric motors, batteries, charging systems and power distribution networks. Electrification is a central pillar of the global energy transition and industrial decarbonisation strategies across mining, manufacturing, transport and built environments.

Electrification Updates


Regional Power Pools: Africa's Greatest Opportunity to Accelerate Electrification
Regional Power Pools: Africa's Greatest Opportunity to Accelerate Electrification
Updated 4 hours ago

As Africa strives to achieve universal access to electricity while supporting economic growth and industrialisation, regional power pools are increasingly being recognised as one of the continent's... 


Business leaders report that sustainability is competitive advantage
Sustainability viewed as competitive, as risk of disorderly climate transition grows
Updated 6 hours ago By: Schalk Burger

As concerns grow about the risks of a disorderly climate transition, business leaders worldwide view sustainability as a driver of competitiveness and resilience, says business organisation the... 


Bosch Rexroth South Africa CEO and Bosch Rexroth Africa president Chris Riley
Rexroth takes customers on tour of production facilities to celebrate sixtieth anniversary
19th June 2026 By: Schalk Burger

Hydraulics, pneumatics and automation group Bosch Rexroth South Africa took customers on a tour of its production facility in Witfontein, Gauteng, on June 19, as it celebrated its sixtieth... 


Magazine Cover Image
Demand for electricity to outpace economic growth and reshape investment
19th June 2026 By: Schalk Burger

Global electricity demand is set to outpace economic growth as part of a broader trend up to 2030, with electricity consumption projected to grow at least two-and-a-half times as fast as overall... 


Magazine Cover Image
Demand for electricity to outpace economic growth and reshape investment
19th June 2026 By: Schalk Burger

Global electricity demand is set to outpace economic growth as part of a broader trend up to 2030, with electricity consumption projected to grow at least two-and-a-half times as fast as overall... 


Powering Africa’s industrial future: Why electrification is a key enabler
18th June 2026

By Tessa Brewis, Sector Head: Projects & Energy, and Josh Da Costa, Associate, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr As the Africa Energy Forum returns to Cape Town from 16 to 19 June 2026 under the theme Building... 


IEA executive director Fatih Birol
Countries prioritising domestic energy options amid ‘largest-ever energy security crisis’
12th June 2026 By: Terence Creamer

Countries are increasingly prioritising domestic energy resources as they seek to reduce their reliance on imported fuels in response to what the International Energy Agency (IEA)  is describing as... 


BMI webinar unpacks grid constraints, considerations
BMI webinar unpacks grid constraints, considerations
8th June 2026 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

As renewable power reach increases and electricity systems face growing pressure from electrification, energy security concerns and shifting demand patterns, both grid infrastructure and battery... 


COAL STILL CRUCIAL
For businesses reliant on high-temperature process heat, coal is a function of cost and availability, and these structural realities do not shift as quickly as policy or ambition
Coal still crucial for industrial applications
5th June 2026

South Africa’s decarbonisation debate often starts from a simple premise: coal must be replaced. In principle, the direction is clear. In practice, it collides with a far more complex reality, says... 


Gaylor Montmasson-Clair Founding director Southern Transitions
Geopolitics and the Energy Transition
4th June 2026

The intensifying competition among China, the US and other major powers to secure future copper supplies is creating an opportunity for African producer countries to capture greater value from the... 


IEA executive director Fatih Birol
Countries prioritising domestic energy options amid ‘largest-ever energy security crisis’
28th May 2026 By: Terence Creamer

Countries are increasingly prioritising domestic energy resources as they seek to reduce their reliance on imported fuels in response to what the International Energy Agency (IEA)  is describing as... 


BlackRock sees merit in large-scale mining M&A
27th May 2026 By: Reuters

BlackRock would back consolidation among large miners because it would open the sector to generalist investors at a scale that would make it easier to bring on large and complex projects needed for... 


The retail industry’s next smart move must be data driven
The retail industry’s next smart move must be data driven
26th May 2026

By: Charles Coetzee - Buildings & C&SP Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa at Schneider Electric Large-scale retailers operate with notoriously tight margins while managing some of the most... 


Critical metal MOE plant
Critical metals processing innovator Boston Metal raises another $75m for scaling MOE tech
21st May 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

A technology company with ambitions to redefine global metals production, Boston Metal, has raised $75-million to accelerate deployment of its Moltex Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) platform and scale... 


Creamer Media launches new IN FOCUS video and podcast series
Creamer Media launches new IN FOCUS video and podcast series
21st May 2026

Creamer Media is expanding its multimedia offering with the launch of IN FOCUS, a new long-form video and podcast series aimed at providing deeper insight into the forces shaping industry, mining,... 


South Africa’s infrastructure spending to top $582bn through 2050 – PwC
South Africa’s infrastructure spending to top $582bn through 2050 – PwC
20th May 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

Over the next 25 years, infrastructure investment in South Africa is forecast to be led by transport, resources and power, which together account for 63% of total infrastructure spend through to... 


ABB South Africa electrification commercial leader and ELDS division manager Egon Worthmann
ABB helps industries run at high performance to be more resource efficient
19th May 2026

Global technology leader in electrification and automation ABB South Africa electrification commercial leader and ELDS division manager Egon Worthmann speaks to Engineering News at Enlit Africa... 


MMD Africa business development manager Mark Peeters
MMD, MAGNA showcase high-capacity, digitalised mobile crushing solutions
15th May 2026 By: Lumkile Nkomfe

Mineral processing solutions company MMD Group and MAGNA, a Terex Brand, has showcased a strategic drive towards high-capacity mobile crushing solutions, faster mine deployment, hybrid and... 


Copper smelting
China's second-quarter refined copper imports set to rise on demand pull
11th May 2026 By: Reuters

China's imports of refined copper are set to rise in the second quarter of this year, driven by strong demand and potentially lower domestic output because of smelter maintenance, analysts and... 


An image of a railway track
Rail network modernisation contract awarded
8th May 2026

Having secured a contract to modernise the Craiova–Filiași section of the Craiova–Caransebeș railway in Romania, mobility solutions provider Alstom notes that the project will deploy European... 


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