Transport Minister Blade Nzimande says the decision to transfer R5.7-billion from the non-toll network to the South African National Roads Agency’s (Sanral’s) toll network was made in order to ensure that the roads agency did not default on its payments to investors. “Even though the non-payment by Gauteng road users has a severe impact on [...]

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has granted freight logistics group Transnet a 7.69% increase in its allowable revenue to R5.68-billion for 2019/20, which translates to a 10.95% increase in pipeline tariffs. Should Energy Minister Jeff Radebe decide to use the pipeline tariff as a proxy for the cost of transporting fuel to Gauteng, [...]

Commissioned against the backdrop of volatility and uncertainty in the electricity landscape, a new study by the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) has highlighted the role that distributed generation renewable energy (DG-RE) could play in the South African electricity market. The study, which was launched on Monday, examined 14 scenarios in five different South [...]

South African private-sector airline group Comair on Monday issued condolences and reassurances regarding the crash on Sunday of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 single-aisle airliner. All 157 passengers and crew perished when the aircraft, only a few months old, plummeted to the ground near Bishoftu, some 60 km south-east of the Ethiopian capital [...]

Eskom appears to have mislead National Treasury about the quality of coal from a Gupta-owned coal mine in order to secure a R2.9-billion contract, the State capture commission has heard. The inquiry was on Monday continuing with evidence from Gert Opperman, a coal supply unit manager at the power utility.

Uber faces a class action suit by customers who say they suffered emotional trauma and physical injuries while using its service. Eleven people represented by Ulrich Roux Attorneys will approach the High Court in an effort to pursue a damages claim from the transportation service as a class action. The class action comes on the [...]

In this opinion piece, De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver outlines the diamond miner's approach to creating a more inclusive world for all. For more than a century, International Women's Day has been celebrated annually on March 8 to recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. The day also [...]

As outlined previously, an electricity system made up of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, wind farms and flexible generators will employ at least 30% more people than a comparable energy-equivalent coal fleet (see the Transition Talk column in the February 22-28 edition of Engineering News). This net jobs advantage is, however, disguised by the geographically disbursed [...]

South Africa’s Energy Regulator has granted Eskom allowable revenue of R206.38-billion for 2019/20, which will translate into a tariff increase of 9.41% from April 1, exclusive of the 4.41% hike sanctioned following an adjudication, in 2018, of three Eskom regulatory clearing account (RCA) applications. The State-owned utility is allowed to increase tariffs to direct customers [...]

The development of an effective method of mining upper ores that have in the past not been included in stoping plans has increased the resource base of the Bimha and Mupani platinum group metals (PGMs) mines in Zimbabwe, Impala Platinum (Implats) CEO Nico Muller has disclosed. In response to Mining Weekly Online at last week’s [...]

US Army officials have delayed a decision on moving BAE Systems Plc’s new self-propelled howitzer into full production, possibly as late as November, until the service sees more improvements in the $8.1-billion programme that’s one its highest priorities. “They have made progress, but they’re still not at the point where they’ve convinced us they are [...]

University of Cape Town (UCT) academic Dr Dyllon Randall has become the first African recipient of the prestigious global Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Warner Prize. The prize is awarded biennially to people who show “exceptional promise” in sustainable chemical process technology, nuclear technology or in making chemical engineering more accessible to a wider scientific [...]