Darren Parker

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Darren Parker

Darren Parker is a Creamer Media Senior Contributing Editor Online for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

AFC signs concession agreements with Angola, Zambia to advance Lobito rail project

25th September 2024 Infrastructure financier Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has signed concession agreements with the governments of Angola and Zambia for the financing, construction, ownership and operation of the Zambia Lobito rail project. The agreements pave the way for AFC to spearhead and complete the... →

TNPA puts out tender for LNG terminal environmental-impact assessment

25th September 2024 State-owned Transnet subsidiary Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), in collaboration with Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) and the Industrial Development Corporation, has approached the market for an environmental-impact assessment (EIA), encouraging interested parties to submit proposals... →

Civil confidence index reaches eight-year high in the third quarter

25th September 2024 After having slipped to 44 in the second quarter of this year, the FNB/Bureau for Economic Research (BER) Civil Confidence Index reached an eight-year high of 50 in the third quarter. According to the BER, this current reading means that half of respondents are satisfied with prevailing business... →

Hensoldt launches new long-range surveillance solution for ground-based applications

23rd September 2024 Defence and security technology company Hensoldt South Africa has launched its new Bushbaby 200 long-range surveillance solution for ground-based applications, which features a day camera, range finder, thermal camera for night surveillance, and an internal global navigation satellite system... →

Photo by Hensoldt
Bushbaby 200

Combatting resurgence of Somali pirate activity requires holistic approach, expert says

23rd September 2024 Maritime piracy along the Somali coast is seeing something of a resurgence in 2024 because the root causes on land have gone largely unaddressed and international support has declined, Transnational Organised Crime Southern Africa senior researcher Carina Bruwer has said. She was speaking at the... →

South West Arkansas lithium project in final negotiations for $225m govt award

23rd September 2024 US-based company SWA Lithium, which is a jointly owned subsidiary of TSX- and NYSE-listed near-commercial lithium developer Standard Lithium and energy company Equinor, has been selected for up to $225-million award negotiation from the US Department of Energy (DoE). This selection, overseen by... →

Urbix to get $125m from US govt to fund graphite processing facility

23rd September 2024 US-based graphite processing technology developer Urbix has been selected by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) for final negotiations for an award of up to $125-million towards the construction of a commercial-scale graphite processing facility... →

Defence industry CEO calls for PPPs to fund SANDF projects

20th September 2024 The CEO of the South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries association, Sandile Ndlovu, has called for the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to help fund defence projects in South Africa. Speaking at the African Aerospace and Defence trade show and exhibition, held at Air... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Rooivalk helicopter

Hensoldt launches advanced South African-made airborne imaging system

20th September 2024 Defence and security company Hensoldt has launched its new-generation airborne imaging system, the Argos-15, at the African Aerospace and Defence trade show and exhibition at Air Force Base Waterkloof, in Centurion, on September 19. The new system, which was fully designed, developed and... →

The Argos-15

Armscor needs to reevaluate its deliverables in light of constrained budget, Mostshekga says

19th September 2024 Of the R51.8-billion budget allocated to the Department of Defence and Military Veterans (DDMV) for the current financial year, R1.4-billion has been allocated to the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor) to manage the acquisition of defence prime mission equipment, development and... →

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga

Terrorist-controlled drones in Africa pose real and present threat

18th September 2024 Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are rapidly becoming a key part of insurgent arsenals across the African continent, Stellenbosch University faculty of arts and social science vice dean of research Professor Lindy Heinecken has warned. Speaking at the African Aerospace and Defence (AAD) trade show... →

1.25m coal jobs could be lost globally by 2035, report says

17th September 2024 Research firm McKinsey’s inaugural ‘Global Materials Perspective’ report shows that, while the green energy transition could generate 340 000 global jobs to scale critical minerals and metals supply by 2035, 1.25-milion jobs may be at risk, driven by the associated decrease in thermal coal... →

Motshekga praises decision to bring Denel under the wing of the Defence dept

17th September 2024 Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga has praised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “wise” decision to bring State-owned enterprise (SOE) Denel under the wing of the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans. The move forms part of the government's plans to move those SOEs that... →

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga

SAB reiterates calls for revised approach to excessive beer excise tax increases

16th September 2024 Government is disproportionately reliant on the beer-making industry for excise duties, which accounted for 34.7% of total excise revenues in the 2023/24 financial year, JSE-listed beer maker South African Breweries (SAB) has said. Over the past few years, the company has made repeated appeals to... →

BRICS Business Council working groups offer updates on work in the year-to-date

13th September 2024 The BRICS Business Council has provided an update on its work thus far this year, reflecting on progress made and the challenges posed by the inclusion of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates into the BRICS Plus alliance in January. The council’s working groups have been... →

Transparent solar glass for generating power from building facades launched in South Africa

13th September 2024 Through a collaboration between Australian glass solar technology developer ClearVue and local technology distributor Concept Business Solutions, a novel transparent glass solar panel technology for use in building facades has been launched in South Africa. Concept Business Solutions will be the... →

TFR’s maintenance outlay below half of requirements

13th September 2024 State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) is meeting less than half of its necessary maintenance investment, with inflation significantly expanding the gap in year-on-year funding requirements. Further exacerbating this, TFR CE Russell Baatjies said, was the persistent drain on maintenance funds by... →

Freight rail underperformance cost South Africa’s bulk mining sector R140bn in the last super cycle

13th September 2024 Owing to domestic logistics constraints, South Africa’s coal and iron-ore bulk mining sectors were unable to capitalise on the last super cycle from 2021 to 2023, resulting in an estimated R140-billion in lost revenue for those two commodities alone, iron-ore miner Kumba Iron Ore CEO Mpumi... →

A quarter of Redefine’s property portfolio to be powered by renewables by end-2025

13th September 2024 JSE-listed real estate investment trust (Reit) Redefine Property has revealed that its total renewable-energy component, which includes wheeling and further expansion of its rooftop solar PV portfolio, is expected to reach 25.14% by the end of next year. Speaking at the Redefine Property capital... →

Resolute reports 30% increase in mineral resource estimate at Tomboronkoto

12th September 2024 ASX- and LSE-listed Resolute Mining has reported a significant increase in the total contained gold at its Tomboronkoto project, in Senegal. The new estimate shows an increase of at least 30% from the initial mineral resource estimate (MRE) announced in January, with the figure now standing at... →

Brandberg West initial drill results indicate presence of tin, tungsten, copper

12th September 2024 Aim- and OTCQB-listed Andrada Mining has announced that its inaugural drilling programme at the historical Brandberg West mine has intersected mineralisation containing tin, tungsten and copper, the primary metals of interest. The mine is located within the EPL 5445 exploration licence, in Namibia. →

Andrada CEO Anthony Viljoen

Hope for South African ferroalloys industry despite green transition challenges

12th September 2024 Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources* beneficiation economics director Kagiso Menoe has said that, despite the challenges brought about by the global green transition, government's outlook on the South African ferroalloys industry remains upbeat. Speaking at the Critical Materials... →

Not enough chrome shipments to fill Maputo corridor capacity, TFR says

12th September 2024 The Maputo Corridor is being underused by chrome exporters, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) northeast corridor acting managing executive Mandisa Mondi has said. Speaking at the Critical Materials Conference: Ferroalloys 2024, in Johannesburg, on September 11, she challenged chrome producers to... →

Investors take up Kropz’s REX retail offer

10th September 2024 Aim-listed phosphate producer Kropz has confirmed that retail investors have conditionally subscribed to 243 118 ordinary shares through the REX retail offer launched earlier this month. Additionally, ARC Fund will subscribe for the remaining 643.6-million ordinary shares under the subscription... →

Bushveld embarks on cost cutting initiatives, including retrenchments

10th September 2024 Aim-listed Bushveld Minerals has begun work on cost cutting initiatives and development works to return the company to profitability and secure Bushveld's long-term future. The company said on September 10 that this decision was driven partly by global market conditions, but also by the recent... →

Bushveld Minerals CEO Craig Coltman

AngloGold notes ‘enormous geological potential’ in Egypt as it moves to acquire Centamin

10th September 2024 The boards of gold producers AngloGold Ashanti and Centamin have agreed to a transaction for AngloGold to acquire all shares in Centamin in exchange for 0.06983 of a new AngloGold share and $0.125 in cash for each Centamin share. The offer implies that Centamin’s share capital is valued at about... →

The Sukari openpit mine

Progress on reopening Canyon Silver project slower than expected, Armadale says

9th September 2024 Although Aim-listed Armadale Capital has reported progress in its efforts to open up historic workings at the Canyon Silver project in Idaho, in the US, for further evaluation and sampling, the company acknowledged that progress has been slower than expected owing to challenging ground... →

GoviEx to acquire 51% interest in Zambia exploration licence

9th September 2024 TSX- and OTCQX-listed GoviEx Uranium has secured an option to acquire a 51% interest in the Lundazi exploration licence from Stalwart Investments. This forms part of GoviEx’s broader strategy to increase its presence in Zambia. The Lundazi licence covers 817.9 km2, an area known for formations of... →

Katoro Gold expands into uranium exploration through Ontario acquisition

9th September 2024 Aim-listed Katoro Gold has expanded into uranium exploration with the acquisition of the White Pine uranium project in Ontario, Canada. The acquisition was made through its subsidiary, Katoro Canada, which now holds a 100% interest in the project. →

Master Drilling shows off its new hard rock Shaft Boring System

9th September 2024 JSE-listed Master Drilling is currently developing a new Shaft Boring System (SBS) that aims to revolutionise shaft sinking in hard rock by eliminating the need for conventional blasting in hard rock material. The system is designed to bore shafts of varying diameter, which range from 4 m to 11.5... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Master Drilling's Shaft Boring System

Sibanye secures €500m green loan to develop its Keliber lithium project

6th September 2024 JSE- and NYSE-listed Sibanye-Stillwater has executed a €500-million green loan financing facility for its Keliber lithium project, in Finland, through its subsidiary Keliber Technology Oy. The company explained that the green loan secures the final capital expenditure funding required for the... →

Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman

High rail costs in SADC region causing operators to import from overseas

6th September 2024 Although the Southern African Development Community is able to manufacture, maintain, repair and upgrade rail rolling stock to high standards, the high costs of local manufacturing are driving railway operators to import from abroad instead, a panel of speakers agreed during the South African... →

Barloworld opens new dealership in Botswana

5th September 2024 Original-equipment manufacturer Barloworld Equipment Southern Africa has inaugurated a new dealership facility in Phakalane, Botswana. Barloworld Equipment has had a presence in Botswana since 1964, supporting key industries and contributing to the development of the country’s infrastructure. The... →

Metair boasts resilience amid tough first-half market conditions

5th September 2024 In an operational update to shareholders for the six months ended June 30, JSE-listed Metair Investments has said its business verticals demonstrated resilience despite the challenging operating and trading conditions. The company said on September 5 that it had successfully maintained a constant... →

SACEEC announces New Products and Innovation Awards winners

5th September 2024 The South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC) has announced the winners of its New Products and Innovation Awards competition at the Electra Mining Africa exhibition, at the Expo Centre in Nasrec, Johannesburg. The awards are given to both local and international exhibiting... →

SACEEC CEO Eric Bruggeman

Kamoa-Kakula achieves record level production in August

4th September 2024 The Phase 1, 2 and 3 concentrators at TSX- and OTCQX-listed Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), achieved a combined monthly production record of 40 347 t of copper in concentrate and a combined monthly milling record of 1.1-million tonnes during... →

South African, Angolan competition authorities sign MoU

4th September 2024 The Competition Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Angola Competition Authority (ACA), establishing a general framework for bilateral communication and cooperation in the fields of competition law, policy and enforcement. The MoU, which was signed on September 4 on... →

Commissioner Doris Tshepe and ACA chairperson Dr Eugénia Pereira

Dwyka brings automated shaft scanning technology to African mines

4th September 2024 Mining technology company Dwyka Mining Services has entered into a partnership with Canadian technology company Point Laz to introduce the Lazaruss automated mine shaft scanner to the African market. This advanced scanner facilitates mine shaft inspections by offering mining operations a better... →

The Lazaruss automated mine shaft scanner

FSCA approves JSE’s plans to divide its main board into two segments

3rd September 2024 The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has approved amendments to the JSE’s listings requirements dealing with market segmentation, which will come into effect on September 23. The market segmentation project repositions the JSE’s main board into two segments, the prime and the general... →

MoU seeks to bridge gap between academia, industry in logistics, transport sector

3rd September 2024 The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport: South Africa (CILTSA) and the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical industry experience in the logistics and transport sector. The MoU,... →

Photo by Vaal University of Technology
CILT International global president chief Teete Owusu-Nortey, CILTSA president Elvin Harris and VUT vice-chancellor and principal Professor Khehla Ndlovu

Kropz reveals restructuring plans to simplify debt, boost operational progress

3rd September 2024 Aim-listed phosphate producer Kropz has announced plans to restructure its finances and raise additional funds to support its projects. This move is aimed at simplifying the company’s debt situation and boosting its operational progress at key projects, particularly the Elandsfontein phosphate... →

About

Engineering News is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa
Polity

Newsletters

Sign up for our FREE daily email newsletter

Receive daily sector news alerts

More

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Engineering News is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options

Subscribe