Author Archive for: Engineering News

Investing in South African cities as part of a green and just recovery from the pandemic can create and support 1.8-million green jobs by 2030, with nearly 1.1-million of those jobs in the buildings, power and sustainable transport sectors. A further 674 000 jobs can be generated and supported locally within cities. Investing in adaptation and nature-based solutions to tackle extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, can produce an additional 705 000 sustainable jobs across the country.

There are fears of a global energy supply crisis affecting electricity and fuel security, precipitated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while uncertainty around oil supply from Russia, which is the world’s third-largest producer, has sent the oil price soaring. Further, with efforts by European countries to reduce their reliance on Russian gas, energy efficiency will become the single most effective tool to remedy high demand and low capacity or supply, says South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) energy efficiency and corporate communications GM Barry Bredenkamp.

JSE-listed construction materials supplier Raubex expects its earnings a share for the financial year ended February 28 to be at least 231% higher year-on-year, while its headline earnings a share are expected to be at least 250% higher year-on-year.

The company had posted earnings a share and headline earnings a share of 87.4c and 81.9c, respectively, in the prior financial year.

South African specialist investment company Futuregrowth Asset Management has expressed the view that nuclear power “should not be dismissed outright” as a long-term contributor to the country’s electricity generation system. Futuregrowth currently manages assets worth some R193-billion, or about $12-billion (these being the values on December 31 last year). In an ‘Insight’ note published on Thursday, Investment Analyst Bongile James and Portfolio Manager Paul Semple acknowledged concerns in South Africa regarding the construction of new nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the country. “Nuclear power as a long-term solution to our energy woes is a sensitive topic, partly due to the ramifications for our country of the substandard design and poor build quality of [the new and coal-fired] Medupi and Kusile, the last mega-power plants constructed in SA investmentSouth Africa,” they noted. “There are also concerns about Eskom’s ability to procure, build an operate a new nuclear power project.”

Research institution Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) has unpacked how just energy transition (JET) projects require a different approach to planning, financing and development, away from the traditional model.

Addressing delegates during a webinar on March 24, TIPS senior economist Gaylor Montmasson-Clair pointed out that tools for just transition projects were different to those used for traditional energy projects, and, as it stands, not enough on-the-ground thinking is being done to realise successful projects.