Author Archive for: Engineering News

Southern Africa is familiar with low levels of electricity access and frequent electricity power cuts, owing to dilapidating infrastructure and its inadequacy to provide electricity in rural areas. However, using alternative and more affordable energy sources, such as solar, wind and waste-to-energy solutions, will enable rural communities to have access to electricity, says advisory firm Birguid’s associate and chief financial officer Kudzaishe Chivandire.

Above-inflation increases to South Africa’s electricity and water prices pose a risk to the consumer inflation outlook and could trigger a rise in lending rates, the central bank said on Wednesday. “These risks, should they materialise, could drive headline above the 4.5% target midpoint and possibly dislodge inflation expectations away from the midpoint,” the bank said in its bi-annual Monetary Policy Review.

South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM) will be presented for Cabinet approval either before the end of the year or early next year and should outline how the country’s resource advantages should be leveraged to produce green hydrogen, as well as to integrate hydrogen-related technologies, such as fuel cells, into various sectors of the economy. Department of Science and Innovation chief director for hydrogen and energy, Dr Rebecca Masemurule says the HSRM is likely to emphasise the centrality of renewable energy not only in the production of clean electricity, but also to produce competitive green fuels that can be used to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, such as land and marine freight logistics, as well as the manufacture of steel, cement and chemicals.

Under siege Seriti Resources whose impending acquisition of South32 coal mines has raised calls for an investigation has dismissed the complaints against it as “vague” lacking substance. The black-owned coal miner has found itself embroiled in a storm after trade unions  flagged some aspects of the transactions as questionable.

Poultry producer Astral Foods has obtained a High Court order against government and the National Treasury over the nondelivery of basic water and electricity supply services within the Lekwa (Standerton) municipality. In terms of the Order issued on April 12, government will be required to intervene in the Lekwa municipality and, together with Treasury, wprepare a financial recovery plan, as contemplated in the Municipal Finance Management Act.