Darren Parker

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Darren Parker

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

Century-old Kipushi mine starts up again after 31-year hiatus

2nd July 2024 Dual-listed Ivanhoe Mines has announced the completion of construction and the restart of the Kipushi zinc/copper/lead/germanium mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 100 years after it first started operations, and 31 years since it was placed on care and maintenance. First feed of... →

UN calls for Potgieter, Huxham’s immediate release from Equatorial Guinea prison

2nd July 2024 The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has called for the immediate release of South African engineers Frederik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, declaring in a formal opinion that the detention of the two men in Equatorial Guinea is arbitrary and illegal. The UN decision is a material finding... →

Frederik Potgieter and Peter Huxham

WGC says gold to remain rangebound for the remainder of this year following strong first half

2nd July 2024 According a mid-year outlook report released by the World Gold Council (WGC) on July 2, gold has performed well so far this year, with a 12% rise in returns year-to-date and outpacing most major asset classes. Gold has so far benefitted from continued central bank buying, Asian investment flows,... →

Updated Kiaka feasibility study indicates a project with strong cash flow

2nd July 2024 A newly released feasibility update for ASX-listed West African Resources’ (WAF’s) Kiaka gold project, in Burkina Faso, shows that strong cash flows are expected from the project. The update incorporates improvements to WAF’s initial Kiaka feasibility study that was released on August 3, 2022. →

Endeavour achieves first gold pour at Lafigué

2nd July 2024 LSE-, TSX- and OTCQX-listed Endeavour Mining made its first gold pour from the Lafigué mine, in Côte d’Ivoire, on June 28, marking the delivery of the project’s construction on budget and a quarter ahead of schedule. “Alongside the first gold pour at the Sabodala-Massawa BIOX expansion that we... →

Lafigué GM Paul Day with first gold bar from Lafigué

NTCSA starts trading

1st July 2024 The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) has officially begun trading, establishing the NTCSA as a duly constituted separate, distinct and wholly owned subsidiary of State-owned utility Eskom. This marks a significant step in the Department of Public Enterprises’ (DPE’s) roadmap for... →

Kangankunde feasibility study supports robust rare earths project

1st July 2024 Rare earths mining and development company Lindian Resources has announced the completion of a feasibility study on Stage 1 of its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi. The study examined Stage 1 of the project's development, which includes mining operations, a mineral processing plant and... →

View of the Kangankunde Hill

DRDGOLD assessing its alignment with Responsible Gold Mining Principles

28th June 2024 Gold mining company DRDGOLD has started self-assessment in line with the World Gold Council (WGC) Responsible Gold Mining Principles (RGMPs) to determine conformance levels across all DRDGOLD operations. The self-assessment process started in May, after the company joined the WGC last year.... →

Hudaco’s interim performance hampered by suspended loadshedding

28th June 2024 Diversified consumer and engineering products group Hudaco has faced a challenging start to the 2024 financial year, with the reduction in loadshedding negatively impacting on some of its alternative energy businesses, resulting in an overall lacklustre set of interim results. "It's been a rather... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Hudaco CEO Graham Dunford

Four central banks sign London Principles to formalise artisanal small-scale gold mining sector

28th June 2024 The World Gold Council (WGC) has announced that four central banks have committed to signing ‘The London Principles’, which is a set of operating principles to help structure and formalise central bank artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) domestic purchase programmes (DPP). The inaugural... →

Artisanal gold miners

Anglo paid $23.5bn in taxes, economic contributions in 2023

27th June 2024 Diversified mining major Anglo American paid about $23.5-billion in total tax and economic contributions throughout its global operations during 2023, a decrease from about $24.5-billion in 2022. Payments in countries such as Brazil, Australia and the UK increased, while payments in South African... →

Hummingbird expects Kouroussa to reach commercial production in the third quarter

27th June 2024 Despite unexpected challenges at Aim-listed Hummingbird’s Kouroussa gold mine, in Guinea, over the past year, including the fire at the national fuel depot in Conakry and the temporary suspension of operations by contractor Corica Mining Services, operations have fully resumed. “We anticipate... →

Andrada signs deal to restructure Uis Tin Mining Company

27th June 2024 Dual-listed Andrada Mining has executed a legally binding agreement to restructure Uis Tin Mining Company (UTMC), the operational Namibian entity that holds the ML133, ML134 and ML129 mining licences in Namibia, to ensure a more efficient corporate structure going forward. The company is seeking... →

Petra shares plans to reduce operating costs, appoints new CFO

27th June 2024 London-listed Petra Diamonds has shared its plan for a sustainable reduction of $30-million a year in operating costs from the 2025 financial year, as well as a smoothing of its development and sustaining capital profile to about $100-million a year at its South African operations to target free... →

Petra CE Richard Duffy

First phase of 1 GW SunCentral solar farm breaks ground

27th June 2024 Independent power producer SolarAfrica Energy has officially broken ground on its first utility-scale solar farm in the Northern Cape. Known as SunCentral, Phase 1 of this project will total about 342 MW in generation capacity, with Phases 2 and 3 to raise the capacity to 1 GW, making it one of... →

Starsight Energy group CEO Paul van Zijl; Proconics CEO Melvin Jones; Eskom senior adviser IPPs Motlatsi Makhari; SolarAfrica Energy CEO David McDonald; Emthanjeni local municipality Mayor Lulamile Nkumbi; and Eskom senior adviser IPPs Moreetsi Balepile

Akobo completes processing plant, starts commissioning in Ethiopia

27th June 2024 Scandinavia-based gold exploration and mining company Akobo Minerals has successfully completed the construction of its processing plant and has started commissioning activities at its operation in Ethiopia. The company currently holds an extensive exploration licence encompassing 182 km2 and a... →

Legislative certainty amid government shuffle crucial for continued renewable-energy investment

26th June 2024 A clear and certain legislative framework is critical for enabling sustainability and green energy investments in South Africa going forward, especially given the changes taking place in government following unprecedented outcome of the May 29 elections, Absa Corporate and Investment Banking... →

Petco achieves 60% post-consumer PET recycling rate in 2023

26th June 2024 Newly released audited data has shown that South Africa’s longest-standing producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Petco achieved a 64% collection and 60% recycling rate for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles placed on the market by its members last year. This exceeds the... →

Cape Town gets another R3.5bn for its record infrastructure spending target to 2027

25th June 2024 The City of Cape Town has secured a further R3.5-billion in financing towards its plans to spend a record amount on infrastructure investment over the three years to 2027. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis conducted the signing ceremony with Nedbank on June 24, after the council greenlighted the financing... →

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis among local government and Nedbank officials during the signing ceremony

Madison confirms high-grade uranium deposits after completing maiden drill programme at Khan

25th June 2024 Uranium exploration company Madison Metals has completed its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drill programme of 997 m over nine holes at its Khan uranium project at Madison West, located in Namibia’s Central Erongo uranium province. Drilling has confirmed high-grade uranium deposits. →

Exxaro warns of price, production dip in first half

25th June 2024 Diversified miner and renewable energy company Exxaro Resources expects to report lower coal and iron-ore prices, as well as lower production, for the first six months of this year. With respect to the company’s key commodities, the average benchmark API4 Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) export... →

Liberty extends deadline for retrenched Optimum workers to apply for reemployment

24th June 2024 Coal mining company Liberty Coal has confirmed that it will be extending the deadline for former Optimum Coal Mine (OCM) employees to submit their applications for reemployment. The company said on June 24 that this was part of its prioritisation of the reemployment of former employees who were... →

PPC reports a 20.6% boost in revenue thanks to Zimbabwe business

24th June 2024 Cement company PPC has reported a 20.6% year-on-year increase in revenue to about R10-billion for the financial year ended March 31, compared with the R8.3-billion in revenue reported for the prior financial year. At the release of its financial results, on June 24, the company said this growth... →

PPC CEO Matias Cardarelli

CoJ, City Power say High Court did not consider all evidence in Eskom case

21st June 2024 In response to a recent Johannesburg High Court order favouring State-owned utility Eskom in a payment dispute with the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and City Power, the CoJ and City Power say the court did not fully consider critical aspects of the evidence. “While we accept and respect the... →

61% of manufacturers expect AI to drive growth by 2029, study finds

21st June 2024 Nasdaq-listed Zebra Technologies has found that 61% of manufacturers expect AI to drive growth in the sector by 2029, up from 41% in 2024. These findings are part of Zebra’s ‘2024 Manufacturing Vision Study’, the results of which were released on June 21. →

Families to petition Pan-African Parliament for release of two South African prisoners

21st June 2024 On June 24, 501 days after two South African men were allegedly unlawfully arrested in Equatorial Guinea, their families are going to hand over a formal request to Pan-African Parliament (PAP) president Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, in Midrand, to ask the institution to help secure the... →

Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham

Andrada reports higher tin, tantalum production for the quarter ended May 31

21st June 2024 Aim-listed Andrada Mining, which owns operations in Namibia, has announced a 14% quarter-on-quarter increase in saleable tantalum concentrate production to 9 t for the quarter ended May 31, which is the first quarter of its 2025 financial year. In its quarterly operational update released on June... →

Andrada CEO Anthony Viljoen

WAF draws down $265m loan to build Burkina Faso gold project

21st June 2024 ASX-listed unhedged gold mining company West African Resources (WAF) has fully drawn down the $265-million secured loan facility from Sprott Resource Lending and Burkina Faso-based Coris Bank International for the development of the company’s Kiaka gold project, in Burkina Faso, and other... →

Streamlined PPP framework could unlock infrastructure investment

21st June 2024 In February, the National Treasury asked for public comments to be submitted in respect of the newly drafted amendments to the National Treasury Regulations (NTR) 16, and key elements of municipal public-private partnerships (PPPs) legislation, to bring it in line with recommendations based on a... →

Photo by Adobe
TWO PATHWAYS PPP projects of less than R2-billion will be exempted from the requirement of obtaining National Treasury approvals

Streamlined PPP framework could unlock infrastructure investment

21st June 2024 In February, the National Treasury asked for public comments to be submitted in respect of the newly drafted amendments to the National Treasury Regulations (NTR) 16, and key elements of municipal public-private partnerships (PPPs) legislation, to bring it in line with recommendations based on a... →

Photo by Adobe
TWO PATHWAYS PPP projects of less than R2-billion will be exempted from the requirement of obtaining National Treasury approvals

Dwyka, Deep Tech highlight new drone technology at showcase

20th June 2024 Mining technology company Dwyka Mining Services and its sister company Deep Tech have announced the launch of several new drone technology services through its partnerships with drone technology companies Wingtra, Emesent and now Skydio. At a showcase event hosted at the FNB Stadium, in Gauteng,... →

Photo by Creamer Media
A Skydio drone and Boston Dynamics robot dog, just two of the tools at Dwyka's disposal

South African manufacturer to provide 275 new container wagons to Lobito railway project

19th June 2024 Joint venture (JV) company Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), which is the concession holder for the operation, management and maintenance of the Lobito Corridor spanning Zambia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has placed an order for 275 new container wagons from South African... →

Aton further develops Abu Marawat gold concession with promising results

19th June 2024 TSX-V-listed gold exploration and mining company Aton Resources has recently carried out further sampling and mapping programmes over several regional targets at the company’s Abu Marawat Concession-retained exploration areas in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. This ongoing exploration programme has... →

Diamcor seeks to extend closing of second tranche of revised private placement

19th June 2024 Diamond mining company Diamcor Mining is seeking to extend the closing of the second tranche of its non-brokered revised private placement following its announcement on June 4 that it had closed the first tranche. The company previously indicated that the original offering, announced on May 1,... →

Stor-Age reports strong financial performance

18th June 2024 JSE-listed self-storage real estate investment trust Stor-Age has reported robust financial results for the 2024 financial year ended March 31, showcasing significant growth in rental rates and occupancy. The company reported a 9.5% boost in rental rates and a 2.9% increase in occupancy rates,... →

Africa Finance Corporation signs MoU with Alstom to deliver rail project in the DRC

14th June 2024 Infrastructure financier the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and sustainable mobility company Alstom have signed a memorandum of understanding to propel the development of the Kinshasa MetroKin rail project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The partnership was announced alongside the... →

€25m leg up for mid-sized companies

14th June 2024 Investment organisation the European Investment Bank (EIB) Global has invested €25-million into pan-African fund Amethis Fund III, which aims to provide private equity growth capital to medium-sized companies on the continent. Amethis Fund III will target companies supplying goods and services to... →

Pensana appoints new Longonjo construction manager as site works progress

13th June 2024 Rare earths mining company Penansa has announced the appoinment of Luigi Bruni as construction manager for the site team at the Longonjo rare earths project, in Angola. Bruni brings practical experience to the project, having served as construction manager for 15 international mining and oil and... →

Containerised 350-person accommodation facilities arriving onsite at Longonjo

MRG enters into JV with Sinowin to develop mineral sands projects in Mozambique

13th June 2024 ASX-listed MRG Metals has entered into a binding joint venture (JV) agreement with Chinese mineral investment companies Sinowin Lithium and Sinowin Lithium Cobalt (SLC) to develop its Mozambique Corridor Sands projects, including Corridor Central and Corridor South, as well as other heavy mineral... →

Demand for Krugerrands up as consumers diversify

13th June 2024 Financial institution First National Bank (FNB) says it has seen strong demand from clients buying Krugerrands on its trading platforms as consumers embrace alternative asset classes to diversify their investment portfolios. Over the past year, FNB assisted with facilitating the delivery of over... →

TNPA gets four new tugboats for Durban, East London ports

12th June 2024 State-owned Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken delivery of the first four tugboats to boost marine fleet availability and shipping efficiencies at the ports of Durban and East London. The arrival of the tugboats brings TNPA a step closer towards the execution of its marine fleet... →

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