IEA warns on continuing high methane gas emissions from the global energy sector

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that emissions of methane remained “stubbornly high”. It did so in its “Global Methane Tracker 2023” report, published on Tuesday.   Methane is a... 

Global assurance group launches Phase 2 of offshore hydrogen pipeline standards project

Norway-based global assurance and risk management group DNV has announced that it is launching the second phase of the joint industry project (JIP) to develop a new set of standards, or code, to... 

Achieving a circular economy means more mining

Achieving a circular economy would require much more efficient mining and processing, much more recycling of metals, much more reprocessing and recycling of mine waste, particularly tailings dumps... 

UK junior reports good results from its copper/gold exploration programme in Eritrea

UK-domiciled junior miner Andiamo Exploration has so far identified a 100 000 oz equivalent copper-gold resource (compliant with the Canadian NI 43 101 standard) at its Yacob Dewar property in... 

Company gets UK grant to help develop new-generation pumped hydro system

Tailings dam material could be one of the waste materials that could be used to create high-density fluids (HDF) that would enable a new-generation and much more capable form of pumped hydro-energy... 

Air traffic control in Somali airspace restored after 30 years

The airspace over and around Somalia was reclassified as Class A at one minute past midnight on Thursday morning. This marked the operational restoration of air traffic control (ATC) services in... 

1 Military Hospital shining example of PPP success

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has highlighted the potential of strategic public-private partnerships (PPP) to ensure the proper management and maintenance of State-owned healthcare... 

US small modular nuclear reactor gets design certification

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued its so-called ‘Final Rule’ for the NuScale Power (NuScale) small modular nuclear reactor (SMR), completing the certification process for... 

Inclusivity, productive land use and promoting biodiversity all help miners to go green

Major South African mining company Exxaro Resources had based its ambitions regarding the global decarbonisation process on its realisation that its own transition process had to be inclusive,... 

Mining and the circular economy support each other

Mining was essential if the world was to create a circular economic system, Finnish Geological Survey director-general Kimmo Tiilikainen has pointed out. He was addressing a Sustainable Mining... 

Energy transition offers great opportunities to Africa, but constraints are significant

The global transition to low- and zero-carbon energy sources was a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Africa, just as the original Industrial Revolution had been for the West, highlighted... 

Africa must invest in geomapping, energy, transport, education to exploit new mining boom

South African Council for Geoscience CEO Mosa Mabuza has called for greater investment in geomapping in Africa. He was participating in a panel discussion at the Investing in African Mining Indaba,... 

Just energy transition good for South Africa but coal sector has to be involved

A Just Energy Transition (JET) was in the interests of South Africa, the World Bank has concluded. So reported World Bank senior energy economist Mariano Salto in a panel discussion at the Southern... 

Serious challenges face the South African junior coal mining sector

The major problems facing the junior and emerging coal mining sector in South Africa were finance, a dysfunctional regulator and logistical difficulties. These were highlighted in a panel... 

Hydrogen-fuelled genset successfully tested

UK-based global major power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce has announced that its Germany-based Power Systems business unit has successfully tested an mtu-brand generator set (genset)... 

SA’s MeerKAT radio telescope team awarded prestigious international award

South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope array team has been awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s (RAS’) prestigious Group Achievement Award for 2023. The award was made, in the words of the RAS... 

South Africa’s overall gross R&D spending not reduced because of Covid-19, reports HSRC

The Covid-19 pandemic had no discernible impact on overall research and development (R&D) activity in South Africa, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has found. The HSRC has released its... 

International JV to develop control technologies for next-generation aeroengine

International joint venture (JV) FADEC Alliance has been chosen to design and develop the electronic control system for the CFM International RISE demonstrator engine programme. FADEC Alliance is a... 

Young adults’ expectations transforming air travel industry

So-called ‘Gen Z’ and ‘millenial’ travellers are driving a digital transformation of the transport industry in general and air transport in particular, multinational air transport information... 

Sustainable aviation fuel production surging, but incentives still needed – IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the representative body of the global airline industry, has estimated that the worldwide production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)... 

MeerKAT radio telescope to play role in searching for alien civilisations

South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope array is now involved in an international programme that is searching for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The announcement was made last week. MeerKAT... 

Necsa’s new reactor project only one of several being developed across Africa

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation’s (Necsa’s) project to build a multipurpose reactor (MPR) to replace its current SAFARI-1 research reactor was only one out of eight or nine such MPR or... 

South Africa’s space agency providing support for Nasa’s Artemis I mission

The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) has highlighted that it is providing tracking support for the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (Nasa’s) Artemis I mission. Artemis... 

New space weather centre to provide real-time solar storm forecasts

For the South African National Space Agency’s (SANSA’s) Hermanus facility, 2022 has been the year of space weather – in August, its new Space Weather Centre (SWC) began operations, although its... 

Hydrogen economy assistance from UK

South Africa will receive further technical assistance from the UK, to advance the former’s hydrogen economy ambitions, the South African Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation... 

Cape Town mayor outlines plans to generate power locally and ‘free city from loadshedding’

Cape Town Metropolitan Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis on Monday highlighted the city’s programme to generate power locally and free the Metro from loadshedding (rolling power cuts) imposed by the... 

South Africa to be key support partner in Nasa’s Artemis crewed Moon programme

The South African National Space Agency (Sansa) will play a crucial supporting role in the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (Nasa’s) Artemis crewed lunar (and beyond) exploration... 

South Africa to receive further UK support for its hydrogen economy ambitions

South Africa will receive further technical assistance from the UK, to advance the former’s hydrogen economy ambitions, the South African Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation... 

Cape Town’s waterfront increasing independent power, water capacities to mitigate impact of loadshedding

Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront was planning to double its solar energy capacity as part of its response to the ongoing power cuts imposed, on a rolling basis, across the country by national electricity... 

Wits gets R54m in funding to lead SA quantum technologies initiative

A University of the Witwatersrand- (Wits-) led consortium has been awarded R54-million in funding by the Department of Science and Innovation to set up a national quantum technologies initiative.... 

UK supporting the construction of large-scale lithium refinery

The UK government announced on Monday that it was supporting the establishment of the first large-scale merchant lithium refinery in Europe. To be constructed by UK company Green Lithium, the... 

SANParks understands that sustainable conservation requires local community beneficiation

South African National Parks (SANParks) was very aware of the need to ensure it delivered economic benefits for the local communities around is protected conservation areas. This was... 

Necsa reports much reduced losses, achieving turnaround

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) was successfully turning itself around, the State-owned entity’s CEO, Loyiso Tyabashe, has told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Mineral... 

Department makes ‘significant progress’ in Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill promulgation process

The Department of Minerals Resources and Energy (DMRE) has made “significant progress” in the process of promulgating the Electricity Regulation Amendment (ERA) Bill, DMRE deputy director-general... 

DMRE’s conception of a just energy transition

Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) director-general Jacob Mbele has given his department’s conception of what a just energy transition would look like. He was responding to a... 

ICAO aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

The member States of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), an intergovernmental organisation which is a specialised agency of the United Nations, on Friday agreed at the 41st ICAO... 

Africa needs to use all its energy sources to develop – AU commissioner

Africa must make use of all its energy resources, as it needs to achieve development. So affirmed African Union (AU) Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Amani Abou-Zeid in her keynote... 

Rolls-Royce enters partnership to develop green hydrogen plants

Rolls-Royce Power Systems, the Germany-based business unit of UK-based global major power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce, has entered into an agreement to cooperate with German specialist... 

Spirited defence of African oil and gas at opening of energy conference

The African oil and especially gas sector received a spirited defence from African Energy Chamber chairperson NJ Ayuk on Tuesday. He was giving the opening address at Africa Energy Week 2022, in... 

IATA to trial air cargo carbon emissions calculator with Etihad

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Etihad Airways will be jointly trialling a calculation tool for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that has been specially developed for cargo...