Joanne Taylor

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Joanne Taylor

Joanne Taylor is a former Staff Writer for Engineering News.

Tel: +2711 622 3744

Email: newsdesk@engineeringnews.co.za

RBH moves to take majority position in M-Tech Industrial

9th August 2013 Community-based investment company Royal Bafokeng Holdings (RBH) has, subject to Competition Commission approval, secured a controlling interest in engineering company M-Tech Industrial, increasing RBH’s stake in M-Tech from 25.1% to 50.1%. →

Battery manufacturer adds recycling to service offering

2nd August 2013 Manufacturer and distributor of lead acid batteries in South Africa, First National Battery, a subsidiary of JSE-listed Metair Investments, has committed to environmental sustainability and has consolidated its operations by commissioning a polypropylene recycling plant at its Benoni factory, in... →

PELLETISEDPolypropylene is pelletised and shipped to the plastics factory for further production for which it will be used in new batteries

Global aspirations for homegrown gas-pressure regulator

2nd August 2013 Welding, cutting and gas products and services company African Oxygen (Afrox) launched a technologically advanced and engineered gas-pressure regulator, the Smoothflo regulator, in South Africa last month. →

PERFORMANCEThe new hybrid regulator achieves multistage performance from a single-stage regulator

Sasol inaugurates the country’s first gas-fired power plant

26th July 2013 Sasol New Energy inaugurated South Africa’s first gas-engine power plant at its Sasolburg site, in the Free State, earlier this month. →

MEGAPOWERThe Sasol gas-engine power plant has a 140 MW operating capacity, which can power 200 000 households

Mandela birth town’s first high school under construction

19th July 2013 Former President Nelson Mandela’s birth town of Mvezo, in the Eastern Cape, is having its first high school built. →

FIRST HIGH SCHOOLThe R100-million high school in Mvezo in the Eastern Cape will underpin three pillars of the Siemens commitment – skills development, sustainability and local commitment

Cape Town’s tallest building awarded five-star rating

19th July 2013 The R1.6-billion Portside development, in Cape Town’s central business district, has been awarded a 5 Star Green Star South Africa (SA) office design rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). →

DEA head office receives six-star rating from Green Building Council

19th July 2013 The new Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) head office, in Pretoria, received a 6 Star Green Star South Africa (SA) Office Design certificate from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). →

Stockbroking firm opens Africa for South African retail investors

12th July 2013 Illovo-based Imara S.P. Reid Stockbrokers launched Africa-wide investment services to South African retail investors – previously the sole preserve of sophisticated international investors, fund managers and institutions. →

SIMON REIDThe introduction of the retail investment service follows strong gains in several African equity markets

Sasol inaugurates R1.5bn gas-fired power plant

10th July 2013 Sasol New Energy on Wednesday inaugurated South Africa’s first gas engine power plant at its Sasolburg site, in the Free State. The facility, which was built at a cost of R1.5-billion, represented the largest single investment in gas engine technology in Africa. It has an operating capacity of... →

Energy management certification can help boost efficiency, reduce consumption

5th July 2013 Energy management standards, such as the ISO 50001 Energy Management certification, are crucial to businesses moving forward amid a world energy crisis, said Certification Europe founder and director Dr John Ryan at the second Eastern Cape Energy Efficiency conference, in May. →

DR JOHN RYANISO 50001 Energy Management certification is crucial to businesses moving forward amid a world energy crisis

Steps taken to transform the Engineering Council of South Africa

5th July 2013 The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) has embarked on a transformation process to ensure maximum efficiency in the delivery of its core mandate and, consequently, improve its service to the engineering profession and the public, says ECSA president Cyril Gamede. →

CYRIL GAMEDEThe Engineering Council of South Africa is transforming to improve its structures to what is required in the professional engineering field

Plan to bolster farm-supporting infrastructure starting to take shape

28th June 2013 South Africa’s agriculture sector faces a number of serious challenges and constraints. The spatial-zoning policies enforced before and during apartheid resulted in the extreme marginalisation of black farmers and foresters. Secondly, domestic producers face stiff competition from low-priced... →

Academy aims to increase number of qualified draughtspeople

28th June 2013 Software company CAD Corporation in partnership with CAD Corporation Draughting Academy has opened the new academy to assist in filling the gap for skilled draughtspeople, designers and computer-aided design (CAD) specialists. South Africa produces 1 000 draughtspeople a year and, according to... →

Plan to bolster farm-supporting infrastructure starting to take shape

28th June 2013 South Africa’s agriculture sector faces a number of serious challenges and constraints. The spatial-zoning policies enforced before and during apartheid resulted in the extreme marginalisation of black farmers and foresters. →

New scanner able to measure stockpiles

28th June 2013 Power and automation technology developers ABB Group has developed a level and volume measurement laser scanner, the VM3D laser scanner, for process and utility applications. →

LASER TECHNOLOGY The laser scanner uses the building blueprints to determine the depth of the stockpile to eliminate the need for emptying the building to baseline the scanner system

Pilot Crushtec CEO buys out minorities

28th June 2013 Crushing and screening specialist Pilot Crushtec SA CEO Sandro Scherf has bought out his partners and increased his stake in the company, which is has also been renamed Pilot Crushtec International, as from March 1 this year. The transaction resulted in Scherf’s indirect stake increasing to a... →

SANDRO SCHERFI have real confidence in the business and in the crushing and screening industry

Contractor moves to accelerate delivery of water-treatment capacity

21st June 2013 Construction company Liviero reports that it is fast-tracking the implementation of parts of a R231-million contract at Rand Water’s Panfontein water treatment residue disposal site, near Vereeniging. The expansion of the sludge disposal site and modifications to the supernatant pipeline began... →

SA office furniture designs making domestic and global inroads

21st June 2013 Local office furniture design and manufacturing company Angel Shack reports that it is experiencing rising domestic and international interest in its new product range, known as the GameChanger. The range meets international design standards, but is being manufactured in South Africa, explains... →

New stay-at-home system for low-risk offenders

21st June 2013 Nongovernment organisation (NGO) the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (Nicro), which provides remedial services for adults and children who have been in conflict with the law, has launched a new technology to allow low-risk offenders to remain in their... →

FLSmidth opens ‘super centre’ in Delmas

21st June 2013 Equipment and services supplier to the cement, minerals and materials handling industries, FLSmidth, opened its fifth global Supercenter, in Delmas, Mpumalanga, this month. →

Construction injuries going unreported, legal expert warns

14th June 2013 There are a significant number of unreported incidents of workplace injuries and deaths that occur in the construction industry, owing to an ineffective and stressed reporting system and the ineffective implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act. →

Eastern Cape showing signs of recovery, says ECDC

7th June 2013 Development financier the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) says the province is showing signs of economic recovery characterised by increased consumption levels, which were last recorded before the 2008 economic slump in the world economy. →

SA urged to create a competitive electricity market

5th June 2013 Solving South Africa’s power crisis will assist the country in achieving sustainable economic growth and help government deliver on its National Development Plan, Free Market Foundation director Eustace Davie said on Wednesday. He stated that the Department of Energy had to open doors and tweak... →

Roadshow bringing light to rural communities

31st May 2013 Royal Philips Electronics is continuing its programme of installing more than 100 Community Light Centres across Africa with six new ones in South Africa. →

Partnership aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality

31st May 2013 The University of Johannesburg (UJ), the Gauteng Department of Health and electronics manufacturer Royal Philips Electronics launched a cooperative project this month, which focuses on the specialist treatment, retrieval and transfer of high-risk mother and child cases in Gauteng. →

Development financier backing niche tourism prospects

31st May 2013 The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) tourism unit is developing and diversifying the South African local tourism offering for foreign and especially local tourists, in response to the worldwide recovery of the tourism sector, says IDC tourism unit head Christine Engelbrecht. →

R300m air separation unit investment for Coega

24th May 2013 Industrial and specialised gas producer Air Products South Africa broke ground at its latest capital investment in the Eastern Cape earlier this month. →

WTO website to improve trade monitoring for countries and companies

24th May 2013 The World Trade Organisation (WTO) launched its new trade-monitoring database earlier this month. It provides detailed information on trade- policy measures implemented by WTO members and observers since October 2008. The database can be accessed through the WTO website. →

Big renewables financing push a highlight of bank’s sustainability report

17th May 2013 Standard Bank Group (SBG) has recently released its 2012 ‘Sustainability Report’ and says its sustainability programmes are mutually reinforcing and have served the company well. →

Mangaung pursuing Bram Fischer airport-city plan

10th May 2013 The State-owned Airports Company South Africa is positioning itself to develop an aerocity around the Bram Fischer International Airport, near Bloemfontein, in the Mangaung metropolitan municipality of the Free State. The proposed airport precinct, to the south of the airport entrance, would be... →

Soweto features on anniversary airship’s global tour

10th May 2013 Pharmaceutical manufacturer for healthcare, agriculture and high-tech materials, Bayer, has had an airship built to celebrate its 150th anniversary. The airship is being deployed to five continents to accompany various other anniversary events taking place. →

Mine mechanisation helping to tackle safety, cost and productivity issues

3rd May 2013 The recent focus on South Africa’s platinum and gold mines has intensified owing to labour problems and this has, in turn, brought into sharp focus the bloated mine work-forces, which surprises the international mining community, as most overseas mining companies have moved towards mechanised... →

Industrial gas group invests R200m in Pretoria West air-separation unit

3rd May 2013 Gas products and services company Africa Oxygen (Afrox) launched its new 200 t/d, R200-million Pretoria West air-separation unit (ASU) this month. →

Book unpacks how good design improves quality, reduces cost

3rd May 2013 Winning by Design is a new book that provides an in-depth view of the Simpler Design System (SDS) and how it can be used to improve quality, reduce cost and expedite lead time during the new product development (NPD) cycle. →

Cape farm installs roof-mounted solar solution for produce cooling

3rd May 2013 Solar power systems manufacturer SolarWorld Africa and its distribution partner, African Technical Innovations (ATI), supplied and installed the agriculture sector’s first and largest roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system at the fruit and vegetable cooling facility, Ceres Koelkamers, in the... →

New Sandton development is SA’s thirtieth Green Star building

3rd May 2013 Building developer Abland received a four-star Green Star SA certification from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) for the design of its Alice Lane project, in Sandton. This is the GBCSA’s thirtieth green star certification. →

Mine mechanisation helping to tackle safety, cost and productivity issues

3rd May 2013 The recent focus on South Africa's platinum and gold mines, have intensified owing to labour problems. This in turn has shed some light on the massive labour sector, which surprised the international mining community, as most international companies have moved towards mechanised mining methods. →

Electronics giant backs deployment of solar-powered health centre

26th April 2013 Samsung Africa recently launched a mobile solar-powered health centre, in Cape Town, marking the start of a large-scale medical initiative on the continent. →

IBM launches data aggregation project to analyse SA’s water distribution system

26th April 2013 Information technology (IT) giant International Business Machines (IBM) South Africa recently launched a crowd-sourcing project to capture, share and analyse information about the water distribution system in the country. →

Northen Cape solar project going ahead, despite reported bankruptcy of Suntech’s China facility

26th April 2013 Solar panel producer Suntech Power Holdings’ China facility was reported by Reuters to have filed for bankruptcy, but it is going ahead with two projects to supply two separate sites in the Northern Cape with a total of 100 MW of solar panels, says Suntech founder Dr Zhengrong Shi. →

Soul searching under way in bid to revitalise SA’s metal casting sector

19th April 2013 It is widely accepted that South Africa has substantial remaining resources of unexploited industrial minerals. In fact the newly released Industrial Policy Action Plan 2013/14 concurs with estimates of there being remaining mineral reserves and resources worth more than $2.5-trillion. →

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