As drone deployment continues to expand, miners unearth whole-of-mine uses

The use of drones and ground-based robotics is evolving to such an extent locally that various companies are using them in all aspects of their operations, which is resulting in “bun fights” about which department gets to use the devices and payloads, says Dwyka Mining Services MD Jamie van Schoor. Using such technology is in line with calls in industry to embrace Industry 4.0, digitalise workflows and operations, increase efficiency and safety by removing humans from dangerous situations, and increase real-time Big Data capturing.
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Gordhan says Eskom restructuring will avert ‘protracted failure’ of utility

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan acknowledged that Eskom is in crisis but has dismissed suggestions that the utility is broken and heading for a “protracted failure”, saying that the restructuring under way will result in the emergence of a “completely different entity”. Speaking at the tail-end of a heated debate on the electricity crisis in the National Assembly, Gordhan acknowledged that Eskom’s current predicament had its roots in a failure by the ANC-led government to react quickly enough to warnings of an impending power shortage, as well as its failure to implement the 1998 White Paper.
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Mbalula recommends a people-centred just transition

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has said a just transition is about improving the lives and livelihoods of all South Africans, particularly those that are bearing the brunt of climate impacts, and protecting and empowering workers and communities, as the country navigates the shift away from fossil fuels. Speaking during the Presidential Climate Commission multistakeholder conference on May 5, he said climate change poses a burden to the economy and South Africa’s people, who live in one of the most affected regions in the world, and frequently experience droughts, storms and floods associated with global warming.
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Netcare receives SAEEC award for energy savings, energy efficiency

Hospital group Netcare has received the South African Energy Efficiency Confederation (SAEEC) 2021 Award for Commercial Corporate Company of the Year in recognition of its contribution to energy savings. The private healthcare group and its national environmental sustainability manager André Nortjé have subsequently been nominated by SAEEC for the 2022 regional and international Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Awards.
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R745m Kusile fraud case against former Eskom managers postponed again

The fraud and corruption case against former senior Eskom manager France Hlakudi and his co-accused was once again postponed in the Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court on Thursday. His co-accused are former Eskom group executive for the Group Capital Division, Abram Masango; businessperson Maphoko Kgomoeswana; and CEO of Tubular Construction, Antonio Trindade. A fifth accused, former Eskom contractor Michael Lomas, was arrested by British police in April last year at the request of South African authorities. He is set to face an extradition hearing.
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Floods, power cuts weighed on South African factory activity in April

South African private sector activity expanded at a slower rate in April as power cuts and floods in KwaZulu-Natal province weighed on output and new orders, a survey showed on Thursday. The S&P Global South Africa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 50.3 in April from 51.4 in March, dropping to its lowest in four months. A reading above 50 shows growth in the sector.
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No need for ‘state of disaster’ for Eskom, we can go until Stage 8 load-shedding – Gordhan

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has shut down the possibly of declaring a state of disaster for Eskom as the utility habitually battles unit failures at its power stations, with this recent bout leading to a week-long stretch of State 2 load-shedding.   “There should… be a distinction made between a state of disaster just for dramatic effect as compared to a power system emergency – which falls within the purview of the systems operator,” Gordhan told a National Assembly plenary session on Wednesday.  
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Kangnas Wind Farm signs ecological agreement to protect biodiversity

The Kangnas Wind Farm, in the Northern Cape, has signed an ecological agreement with the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, to compensate for any biodiversity impact from the project. The long-term agreement improves the viability of biodiversity and its associated habitats by creating an expansive protected area, which far exceeds the wind farm’s footprint, and delivers a range of benefits.
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Zikalala says infrastructure repairs progressing

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has started with the construction of a temporary detour route near the N2 in uMkhomazi and Umgababa in the north of Durban. This will allow flow of traffic from the south to the north of Durban, which has been blocked since the floods in April.
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Eskom questions assertion that it is delaying IPP projects

Eskom insists that it is processing budget quotes for independent power producers (IPPs) seeking to connect to the national grid, in line with agreed timelines, and that it is making every effort to debottleneck the process so that much-needed new generation capacity can be introduced speedily. COO Jan Oberholzer indicated during a load-shedding briefing that the utility was seeking clarity from both the IPP Office and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy regarding recent statements indicating that financial close on 25 wind and solar projects had been delayed from the end of April to accommodate the issuing of budget quotations by Eskom.
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