Tracy Hancock

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Tracy Hancock

Tracy Hancock is Creamer Media Contributing Editor for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Multimillion-rand shaft construction soldiers on

17th March 2023 The R137-million Mngeni shaft project at the Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC), in Emakhalathini, KwaZulu-Natal, is edging closer to completion, with water infrastructure and electrical reticulation installed last month. This month, basic surface infrastructure, such as offices and change... →

Orders roll in for Dragonfly V commercial drone under development

12th March 2023 Western Cape drone developer FlyH2 Aerospace has secured letters of commitment for 56 Dragonfly V – a long endurance, remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) hydrogen-electric aircraft – since the company started development in a surfboard shop in 2017. Designed with low operational cost,... →

Manufacturer focused on anti-theft, -vandalism signalling equipment

10th March 2023 The prevention of vandalism and theft of rail infrastructure continues to be a significant money pit for the South African passenger and freight rail industry. State-owned entity Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) spends R1-billion a year to protect its infrastructure from vandalism,... →

NQOBILE MTHEMBU ACTOM Signalling is constantly developing solutions that will curb the theft and vandalism of signalling equipment

Third-party access crucial for sector

10th March 2023 Rail industry representative African Rail Industry Association (ARIA) is driven by a mandate to facilitate public–private partnerships (PPPs) as a tool to revitalise the South African rail industry, with CEO Mesela Kope-Nhlapo declaring 2023 the year of third-party access. “It is in the country’s... →

MESELA NHLAPO It is in the country’s best interest to successfully advocate for the practical implementation of the third-party access rail policy to service the unserved market that previously benefited from our railways

German construction hoist installed in Secunda

3rd March 2023 Gauteng industrial equipment supplier SkyJacks has installed a GEDA construction hoist on a 100-m-high vessel at chemicals and energy company Sasol’s monomers plant in Secunda, Mpumalanga. “The GEDA 300Z was attached to the scaffolding erected by the contractor around the vessel and went up to a... →

JACKING UP DEMAND Demand for SkyJacks construction hoists mostly stems from the maintenance and retrofitting of buildings, as well as the industrial maintenance sector, amid tough construction market conditions

First wire rope hoist ordered

3rd March 2023 Mining infrastructure systems supplier Becker Mining South Africa has sold its first Kito RX wire rope hoist to a processing plant in Rustenburg, in the North West, after launching the range in sub-Saharan Africa in September last year. The reaction to the new range of Kito RX wire rope hoists,... →

MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS Kito RX wire rope hoists are suitable for many industrial applications, including production plants, plant engineering, production lines and workshops, as well as shipbuilding and maintenance

Bespoke crane to facilitate helicopter crew training

3rd March 2023 Local crane manufacturer Condra’s Germiston workshop will soon take on the challenge of manufacturing a bespoke 5 t double-girder electric overhead travelling crane for the purpose of training helicopter crew and emergency personnel at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), in Gauteng, as part of a... →

CONDRA’S FACILITY The AS365 Dauphin helicopter will arrive from Canada to facilitate testing of the crane being built for the University of Johannesburg at Condra’s Germiston workshop by the end of April

Mindset change a must for effective PSP

17th February 2023 Effective public-sector participation (PSP) in the funding, management, operation and maintenance of South Africa’s depreciating road, rail and port infrastructure requires a mindset change by those in power, says industry body South African Institution of Civil Engineering president Steven... →

STEVEN KAPLAN Without the political will, there is little that the private sector can do to address the shortcomings in the operation and maintenance of State infrastructure

Private sector provides infrastructure solutions

17th February 2023 A local premium prepared food and beverage business has secured the services of Pretoria-based engineering consultant BBEnergy to use water more responsibly and improve management systems by implementing an energy and water utility model as South Africa’s water infrastructure continues to... →

TSHEGO SEFOLO Potable water supply shortages have become a significant challenge for various municipalities in South Africa owing to ineffective or poorly maintained infrastructure

S Africa needs smarter ports

17th February 2023 For South Africa’s eight ports to keep up with the changes in global shipping, and safeguard trade that is vital to the economy, it is extremely important that Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies be embraced to enable smart ports, says network technology company Axis Communications... →

MARCEL BRUYNS Having access to an efficient port helps accelerate the transport of shipments in and out of a country, facilitating a profitable trading environment

TPT engaging OEMs to address ageing equipment

17th February 2023 Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), a division of State-owned company Transnet, has started a process to engage with original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to establish long-term partnerships. The process aims to ensure the standardisation of equipment and spares to improve plant reliability as part... →

FRESHENING UP THE FLEET Long-term partnerships with original-equipment manufacturers are expected to support Transnet Port Terminal’s drive to acquire much-needed replacement equipment to address the aging fleet but also help standardise the fleet

Loadshedding sees demand for petrol-driven lawnmowers rocket

12th February 2023 South Africa’s energy crisis has had a significant impact on demand for the electric cord-based cylinder mowers in the Professional range manufactured by Randburg-based lawnmower manufacturer Rolux South Africa. “The demand for petrol-driven models has skyrocketed, making our Professional 17-inch... →

Logistics industry digitisation to trend this year

10th February 2023 The digitisation of the local logistics industry will take centre stage this year as companies continue leveraging smart technology and innovation to improve customer service delivery and experiences amid the current economic climate, says smart logistics company Pargo cofounder and director Lars... →

LARS VEUL Consumers’ demands and expectations are at an all-time high and show no sign of slowing down

AMR uptake an opportunity to upskill workers

10th February 2023 While autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are becoming an integral part of future-oriented factories, job creation remains an important factor for a company considering AMR implementation at a facility to ensure it remains globally competitive and sustainable, says industrial automation expert Omron... →

AMR UPTAKE Local interest in autonomous mobile robots is specifically focused on increasing productivity, employee safety and wellbeing, as well as on curtailing errors

Grindex pumps distributor widens SADC network

3rd February 2023 Pumping applications solutions provider Integrated Pump Technology has been given the green light to distribute the submersible pumps range from Swedish pumps manufacturer Grindex in a further seven countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). “Our sole distribution agreement... →

JORDAN MARSH Having local service centres is key for efficient and effective pump repairs

OEM’s recipe wins bulk of Africa’s projects

3rd February 2023 Pumps manufacturer Weir Minerals Africa is the partner of choice for the majority of mining operations in Africa, winning 95% of projects owing to the company’s footprint, the scale of its operations and product offering, says Weir Minerals Africa pump products GM Marnus Koorts. “The number of... →

ENGINEERING EXPERTISE Weir’s highly skilled, in-country engineers are focused on optimising clients’ sites

Firm secures ‘preferred’ status

31st January 2023 Foundry and engineering company Thos Begbie has been named a preferred supplier of Europe’s largest copper producer Aurubis, which also claims to be the world’s largest copper recycler. Thos Begbie, based in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, manufactures water-cooled copper and other furnace components... →

TACTICAL CHANGES Thos Begbie is expanding its business strategy to gain a major advantage over the local market, as demand for copper processing snowballs

S Africa must apply lessons from auto industry to green hydrogen sector – Patel

20th January 2023 Lessons from South Africa’s extensive experience in the automotive industry need to be applied as the country focuses on building a green hydrogen sector, which could potentially produce six-million to 13-million tons of green hydrogen and derivatives a year by 2050. “South Africa has some... →

CLEAN POWER PUSH The allocation of new renewable electricity capacity to support South Africa’s green hydrogen production goals will need to be included in the updated Integrated Resource Plan or as part of an associated energy plan for green hydrogen

Challenging transition lies ahead

20th January 2023 South Africa’s just energy transition (JET) to a low-carbon economy will not transpire overnight and will remain a challenge throughout the 2023 financial year, professional services firm EY strategy consulting arm EY-Parthenon Africa leader Paul O’Flaherty tells Engineering News. “As with many... →

PAUL O’FLAHERTY Local companies have already done a lot – at times probably more than their European or American counterparts that have not had to deal with scarcity or the same social context

100 MW-plus projects registration expected by Q3

20th January 2023 The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) expects private-sector projects exceeding the 100 MW threshold to be reflected on the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) database from the second or third quarters of this year to further increase new generation... →

BETTING ON SOLAR There remains untapped potential for much wider deployment of solar photovoltaic in South Africa, but its contribution to the local electricity mix is growing at a rapid rate

Kanna automated wool press only locally made option

15th January 2023 The automated hydraulic wool press from Western Cape farm equipment manufacturer Kanna Industries is the only one of its kind in South Africa, says Kanna Industries founder and owner Willa Nolte. Kanna has sold almost 60 machines this year. →

Indonesia’s high-speed rail project completed ahead of G20 summit

16th December 2022 Using various solutions from infrastructure engineering software developer Bentley Systems, lead contractor PT Wijaya Karya (WIKA) was able to complete the construction of an integrated high-speed railway line between Jakarta and Bandung, and accompanying infrastructure, in time for the G20... →

AWARD WINNER WIKA won first place in the Rail and Transit category at the Bentley Systems Year in Infrastructure Going Digital Awards this year. WIKA building information modelling engineer Rizky Yusuf Ramadhan is pictured third from left along with other members of his team and, from left, Bentley Systems civil infrastructure VP Francois Valois, CEO Greg Bentley, chief success officer Katriona Lord-Levins and rail and transit industry marketing director Steve Cockerell

Digital platform aims to improve SADC rail efficiency

16th December 2022 A substantial percentage of all rail wagons in South Africa are empty when moving between destinations. In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, only a small percentage of rail capacity is being fully used. That is a huge amount of wasted and expensive space, says South... →

SUSTAINABLE LOGISTICS The Empty Trips digital freight exchange allows rail carriers to publish empty rail wagons on the platform, making this information visible to rail shippers so that they can book space on the rail wagons

Digital engineering key to award-winning level crossing removal project

16th December 2022 Many Australian construction companies are actively employing people, especially those who have a digital background, to address the country’s skills shortage, particularly in major infrastructure projects, including the removal of dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne, says... →

AWARDING INNOVATION Acciona southern region digital engineering manager Daniel Easter (centre) was awarded first place in the Construction category of the Bentley Systems Year in Infrastructure Going Digital Awards last month. Also pictured (from left) are Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley, construction VP Rich Humphrey, senior product marketing manager Marion Bouillin and chief success officer Katriona Lord-Levins

Noncompliant installations surge amid energy crisis

9th December 2022 The rush to install standby power supply in South Africa amid the country’s energy crisis has led to an influx of service providers, which are misinforming the public on the legal requirements that electrical installations need to comply with, says trade association Electrical Contractors’... →

UNITING AN INDUSTRY The Electrical Contractors’ Association South Africa is working with multiple associations to formalise and standardise training and requirements for electrical contractors in an effort to realise a united industry

New welding equipment, training significant contributors in growth strategy

2nd December 2022 To assist its growth strategy in an evolving local market space, specialist fabrication company Efficient Engineering has made a significant investment by procuring a state-of-the-art automated welding machine, from France. →

PRESSURE VESSEL A typical pressure vessel produced by Efficient Engineering

Dust-A-Side launches hybrid monitoring solution

20th November 2022 Dust control management specialist Dust-A-Side, headquartered in Pretoria, has introduced a comprehensive dust monitoring solution that offers particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM 10 real-time monitoring, as well as a manual ASTM-compliant dust fallout unit, which includes a digital dashboard... →

World unlikely to resolve copper deficit soon – CDAA

18th November 2022 While the improved management of copper scrap recycling is crucial to supplement future mined supplies to address the world’s seemingly perpetual copper deficit, copper cable theft continues to be a hindrance locally, says local copper industry representative Copper Development Association Africa... →

PRODUCTIVITY PRUDENT Africa needs to develop new downstream businesses and secure the local production of products through a copper master plan

Roan’s success to be duplicated in north

18th November 2022 With diversified metal recovery business Jubilee Metals Group’s flagship copper processing project, Project Roan, in Zambia, reaching nameplate throughput last month, the company is aiming to replicate a similar model at a larger scale at its northern refinery. Roan is part of Jubilee’s southern... →

SABLE REFINERY The north of Jubilee’s Zambian footprint presents the opportunity to more than double the copper-producing capacity of its 14 000 t/y Sable refinery, which forms part of the company’s southern refining strategy

Bentley Systems awards place spotlight on innovative infrastructure builds

16th November 2022 The product strategy of infrastructure engineering software developer Bentley Systems is grounded in the principle that the infrastructure sector needs to do more with less, said Bentley Systems COO Nick Cummins on Tuesday during the plenary of the 2022 Year in Infrastructure Conference. The... →

PT Wijaya Karya won the Rail and Transit category for its integrated solution for the 143 km high-speed railway line between Jakarta and Bandung, in Indonesia,

Efficient management of constrained energy supply vital

11th November 2022 It is important that local municipalities manage South Africa’s available power supply as efficiently as possible by adopting smart-grid enabling products, as the country continues to battle electricity generation constraints, especially with President Cyril Ramaphosa having stated that... →

VLADIMIR MILOVANOVIC Municipalities should be considering ways to improve or digitise their grid in a manner that affords them the ability to monitor their network status and performance

CoCT on track to become African energy diversification beacon

11th November 2022 The City of Cape Town (CoCT) is working on diversifying its energy resources to significantly reduce its reliance on struggling State-owned power utility Eskom in the next two years and, thereby, the impact of loadshedding on its customers. The municipality intends to end loadshedding for... →

INVITING INCENTIVE In July, the City of Cape Town expanded its small-scale embedded generation programme to permit commercial customers to sell more electricity than they use

Climate change major energy efficiency driver

11th November 2022 While the implementation of energy efficiency measures reduces demand on South Africa’s fragile power system, the climate change agenda continues to significantly influence corporate South Africa’s efforts in this respect, says renewable-energy solutions company Solareff – a member of nonprofit... →

A MORE EFFICIENT APPROACH Companies must consider energy efficiency and embedded generation together when calculating their energy requirements

DMS introduces ASTM-complaint dust fallout unit

6th November 2022 Dust monitoring solutions manufacturer Dust Monitoring Services (DMS) has introduced a fully compliant ASTMD1739-98 unit, which includes a bespoke, ultraviolet (UV) stabilised linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) bucket and lid. “After being on the cards for a year, the design of the... →

Amendment Bill to realise embedded capacity

28th October 2022 The Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill is expected to realise significant local embedded generation capacity growth by removing the cap on the licensing threshold, but the current version of South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a limiting factor. The amendment of Schedule 2 of the... →

JASON VAN DER POEL There has been a sense of urgency to approve the amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act, as the country continues to battle the impacts of loadshedding

Loadshedding impacting on embedded generation uptake

28th October 2022 While loadshedding is driving the uptake of embedded electricity solutions, it is also deemed obstructive by renewable-energy solutions company Solareff, owing to the financial implications for clients seeking to invest in large, industrial rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV)... →

SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING Completed in January last year, the 1 219 kWp grid-tied solar PV parkade solution with generator integration at the Eastgate Shopping Mall will yield a significant electricity saving

CoCT ahead in SSEG capacity locally

28th October 2022 While the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) capacity is ahead of the curve compared with other local municipalities, there is still a lot of work to be done, says CoCT Energy MMC Councillor Beverley van Reenen. “With State-owned power utility Eskom’s incredibly... →

POWERING CHANGE As of August this year, the City of Cape Town had 85.8 MVA of approved, commissioned grid-tied small-scale embedded generation

Millions injected into water tech over past 7 years

21st October 2022 The Water Technologies Demonstration Programme (Wader) has invested about R43.5-million in 46 projects from 2015 to 2022 as the technology arm of the National Water Research, Development and Innovation Roadmap. The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) has been the primary funder of the... →

DRIVING DEVELOPMENT Floating solar is one of two breakthrough technologies supported by the Water Technologies Demonstration Programme, the technology arm of the National Water Research, Development and Innovation Roadmap

S Africa can ease effect of natural disasters through technology

21st October 2022 Deploying “cutting-edge” solutions at South Africa’s water treatment plants will assist the country in mitigating the severe impact of natural disasters, such as the drought in Nelson Mandela Bay, in the Eastern Cape, and the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal, while addressing the poor state of... →

JOYCE MOGANEDI The current water crisis facing South Africa has created new opportunities and there is plenty of room to adopt and embrace new technologies

Edikan set to surpass guidance

14th October 2022 The Edikan gold mine, in Ghana, is clawing back the production loss incurred owing to the shutdown of its mill for preventative maintenance in June. The mine recorded its best month of gold production since December 2018 in July and surpassed its June quarter production by mid-August. The mine,... →

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Through the Nkosuo deposit, Edikan also has the potential to, once again, become a very important component of Perseus Mining’s diversified asset portfolio

Ghana tops in West Africa

14th October 2022 While the West African operating climate is positive overall as emerging initiatives are coming into play on the back of ongoing capital investment in mining projects, politically stable Ghana remains the region’s most attractive mining jurisdiction. The country boasts a historically proven... →

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP While West Africa’s mining legislation is still evolving in many respects, regardless of in-country legislation, mining companies are also the drivers of compliance to prevent adverse environmental impacts

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