Sascha Solomons

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Sascha Solomons

Sascha Solomons is a Creamer Media Reporter for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Tel: +2711 622 3744

Power grid might have reached secure state

13th May 2016 Despite negative publicity associated with load-shedding, tariff price hikes and the loss of senior management in the past couple of years, State-owned power utility Eskom might have reached a more secure state in 2016, consulting firm Frost & Sullivan asserts. Frost and Sullivan energy and... →

Illegal connections, cable theft pose threat to zero harm mandate

13th May 2016 The increase in the number of informal settlements in the Western Cape has led to an increase in unsafe electricity connections. This plus the ability of higher income areas to pay electricians to by-pass Eskom meters, impinges on State-owned power utility Eskom’s zero harm initiative. “The... →

Photo by Bloomberg
ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS The unsafe electiciy connections are proving to be a costly procedure for Eskom

Power utility opts to use renewable energy source

13th May 2016 Solar system specialists and engineering design company ZRW Mechanika completed the installation of a 50 kW hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant at Wilgers education and community centre near the Kusile power plant in Witbank, Mpumalanga, in January 2016. ZRW Mechanika was awarded the... →

HYBRID SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC Renewable and cost efficient energy source

Ingula set for completion next month

13th May 2016 Mechanical engineering contracting company SA FIVE Engineering says State-owned power utility Eskom’s Ingula pumped-storage scheme’s commissioning is set to be completed by the end of next month. “The construction of Ingula is complete and only the commissioning needs to be done. Unit 3 and Unit... →

INGULA POWER STATION The new hydropower station nears completion

Medupi to comply with emissions standards

13th May 2016 State-owned power utility Eskom intends to retrofit each of Medupi power stations’ six power generation units with flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) technology, which is used to reduce the sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions of a coal-fired power station but has the drawback of requiring high water... →

Photo by Duane
MEDUPI POWER STATION The FGD will allow Medupi to comply with the new plant cabon dioxide minimum emission standard

Fifty-eight participants graduate from Eskom academy

13th May 2016 In line with its commitment to develop skills and create jobs, State-owned power utility Eskom’s Contractor Academy saw 58 participants drawn from Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the North West and Gauteng graduate in March this year. The graduation ceremony celebrated the upskilling of another group of... →

Photo by Duane
BRIAN MOLEFE Through the academy, Eskom develops and supports of small and medium-sized enterprises

Energy sector headed in a positive direction

13th May 2016 With State-owned power utility Eskom’s Medupi and Kusile power stations contributing about 10 GW jointly at full operation, global consulting firm KPMG believes the Department of Energy is proactively working towards reaching the National Development Plan’s (NDP) 2030 goal of having about 17 GW... →

Climate change shaping water management infrastructure

29th April 2016 Designing water-related infrastructure for mines needs to be based on future climate predictions rather than only past experience, asserts natural resource and development solutions provider SRK Consulting South Africa (SA) senior hydrologist Dr Hartley Bulcock. Changing rainfall and temperature... →

HARTLEY BULCOCK AND ROSS WINKWORTH HARTLEY BULCOCK AND ROSS WINKWORTH Changing rainfall and temperature patterns necessitate that mines adapt the design of water-management infrastructure to avoid risks

Technological advancements continue despite mining sector’s downturn

29th April 2016 Beneficial trends and technological advancements in the mining industry are being introduced regardless of the depressed market conditions that the sector faces, says environmental management company I-CAT Environmental Solutions technical manager Morne van Wyk. One such trend is recycling water... →

HYFLUX KRISTAL HOLLOW-FIBRE Ensure the effective and environmentally safe reduction of excess wastewater in the mining industry

Dewatering pump to help reopen shaft at Orkney

29th April 2016 Johannesburg-headquartered dewatering specialist Letaba Dewatering expects to start supplying dewatering pumps to Shaft 7 at the Orkney gold mine, in the North West, in October, enabling gold mining to restart. The company was provisionally awarded a tender to supply SAER dewatering pumps at the... →

Industry body eyes ongoing partnership with municipal govt

22nd April 2016 Industry body Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa), a voluntary organisation of consulting engineering firms, plans to partner with government entities on a municipal level in the long term to tackle challenges such as a lack of technical personnel and poor service delivery. “Cesa wants to... →

CHRIS CAMPBELL Partnership with governmet entities could tackle service delivery challenges

Off-the-shelf solutions drive improvement

22nd April 2016 To ensure that its consulting streams maintain their competitive edge, mining industry consultant Snowden continues to provide its technology solutions as commercial off-the-shelf solutions to improve performance at mining operations. This availability provides mining companies with access to... →

Photo by Snowden
JOHN HEARNE Technology is an industry differentiator

Optimal rosters equal greater efficiency without significant cost

22nd April 2016 According to consultation and research team Shiftworks Solutions, an organisation’s productiveness is more likely to grow without expenditure increasing when an effective work roster is in place, states customised roster solutions provider Shiftwork Solutions Africa manager Andrew Harding. He... →

Pipe manufacturer advocates plastic over concrete

22nd April 2016 Consulting engineers and their clients should focus on long-term sustainability rather than short-term profitability, says high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe manufacturer Sinvac Piping MD Kobus van Dyk. “In South Africa, traditional concrete piping systems and manholes are being prescribed by... →

PLASTIC PIPING MORE SUSTAINABLE HDPE piping has a longer life span in comparison to concrete piping

Client-centric approach on cards for advisory service

22nd April 2016 Global engineering consultant Aurecon intends to add renewed focus to its advisory service by 2017, particularly on supply chain and asset management, by providing a more customer-centric offering for the struggling mining industry. “Our strategy is to live in our clients’ operations to better... →

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PARTNERSHIPS END IN TOTAL SOLUTIONS A client-centric apprach brings out the best results

Potential growth in technology

8th April 2016 Amid the economic downturn and lack of skills in the foundry industry, the South African Institute of Foundrymen (SAIF) believes that growth opportunities for the industry lies in embracing technological development that will create new market opportunities. “To become more competitive, we, as an... →

Photo by Cumulus
SURVIVAL OF THE FOUNDRY INDUSTRY To be more competitive the industry has to strive to be technologically advanced to cater for new market demands

Hope for aluminium casting industry

8th April 2016 The Aluminium Federation of South Africa (Afsa) believes that potential for growth of the foundry industry currently lies in the automotive sector, as this is the largest market for aluminium castings. “Legislation worldwide is driving automotive companies and original-equipment manufacturers to... →

Photo by Reuters
ALUMINUNUM GROWTH The aluminium foundry sector produces about 5 000 t/y of components

Technology ensures efficiency for foundry industry

8th April 2016 The future of the local foundry industry is promising, owing to technological advancements which accelerate turnaround times, says local castings supplier NI-Foundry, previously known as Guestro Casting and Machining. →

EFFICIENCY INCREASED Technological advancements result in quicker turnaround times

Forging opportunity amid economic decline

8th April 2016 Although the state of the forging industry has resulted in businesses having to reduce production, diversified manufacturing company Frankwen Forge says this has presented it with an opportunity. “The economic downturn has meant that there is a lack of major capital projects coupled with an... →

Cost reduction an option for survival

8th April 2016 Nonferrous metal and plastic component manufacturer Wam Metals is acquiring robot automation of a forging press to reduce operational costs and improve output. Wam Metals will be in production for 30 years this year and has plans to continue operations as well as make use of opportunities to... →

Photo by Wam_Metals_Robot_welding
WAM METALS Acquiring robot automation to reduce operational costs and improve output

Despite industry dip, uranium shows potential

1st April 2016 Gold and uranium have some traction in the market, regardless of the general commodities slump currently draining the profits of the mining industry, metallurgical engineering company MDM Engineering business development director George Bennett tells Mining Weekly. He says that, globally, the... →

HUSAB IN NAMIBIA One of MDM Engineerings core aspects is successfully developing clients' projects

Watchdog claims poor public participation

1st April 2016 The uranium mining industry is cause for concern and will create significant challenges for the Karoo community near Beaufort West, in the Western Cape, asserts faith-based environmental watchdog Southern African Faith . He contends that the community has not been properly consulted by the... →

PROVIDING INSIGHT The Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute is embarking on a new project to educate communities in the Karoo about uranium mining

Karoo uranium promising

1st April 2016 Australia-based uranium miner Peninsula Energy is determined to wrap up the reserve drilling for the definitive feasibility study on its Karoo uranium projects, in Beaufort West, in the Western Cape of South Africa, which will pave the way for a mine to be built by 2019, says Peninsula Energy MD... →

GUS SIMPSON TThe Karoo projects offer an excellent opportunity for domestic uranium supply to fuel the new reactors that are being developed under the recently announced expansion of South Africa’s nuclear power generating capacity

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