Chemicals Archives

Ground-breaking waste-to-energy plant opens in Cape Town

26 Jan, 2017 Michael Peters #biogasplant , #biomethane , #capetown

The first large-scale waste-to-energy plant in Africa will be opened in Athlone in Cape Town, with the aim of converting municipal solid waste into energy. The state-of-the-art R400-million biogas plant is expected to create 80 full-time jobs and few hundred indirect jobs. The plant is owned by New Horizons Energy, a subsidiary of Clean Energy Africa. An innovative partnership with waste management company Waste Mart has been a […]

Sasol espouses multi-asset virtues of $11bn US project amid cracker rivalry

16 Oct, 2016 Michael Peters #chemicalproject , #energy , #ethane , #petrochemical , #usgolfcoast , Sasol

The skyline associated with Sasol’s $11-billion ethane cracker project in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is starting to change fundamentally as the plant’s large steel structures are installed on a portion of the vast 890 ha site, where the South African energy and chemicals group is creating a new multi product chemicals complex. Even some Gulf Coast […]

New mineral sands projects require higher prices – Base

07 Sep, 2016 Michael Peters Mining

With global mineral sands stockpiles declining, a further price improvement is expected for the balance of 2016, Base MD Tim Carstens told delegates at the first day of the Africa Down under conference in Perth, on Wednesday. At peak, ilmenite traded at about $350/t; however, by May this year, prices for the product declined to between $60/t to $65/t. “It was a […]

Fuel efficiency alone does not bring climate benefits for eco-engines

19 Jul, 2016 Michael Peters #climate , #fuel , #globalwarming

Car engines that rely on gasoline direct injection (GDI) are more efficient than traditional engines, and are set to make up more than half of the U.S. passenger fleet by 2020. Yet despite their fuel savings, switching to these engines could actually accelerate climate change, according to an analysis of their exhaust emissions (Environ. Sci. […]

CSIR to develop high-tech capabilities to support Operation Phakisa

11 Jul, 2016 Michael Peters #southafrica

Scientists at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are working on developing high-resolution predictive and observational capabilities to support decision-making in South African territorial seas and its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This would assist South Africa in reaching the Operation Phakisa goal of growing the oceans economy by R20-billion by 2019. To reach this […]

High-pressure heat exchangers becoming key in Africa

05 May, 2016 Michael Peters #africa , #drilling , #machining , #milling , #rolling , #tubeheatexchangers , #welding , DustAct

Local manufacturer and maintenance service provider of utility-scale pulverised coal steam generators Steinmüller Africa is now offering turnkey solutions for both shell and tube heat exchangers – both the header type and the tube sheet type are offered. These heat exchangers are not only integral components of power generation, petrochemical and process plants, but also […]

SA radio astronomy observatory developing new scientific research instrument

07 Jan, 2016 Michael Peters #radioastronomy , #scientificresearch

The Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) is in the process of constructing a Lunar laser rangefinder, to widen its area of scientific research. The project is being developed with the assistance of the Côte d’Azur Observatory, in France, and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). “It’s very much a shoestring development,” says HartRAO […]

SA companies should seek more UN business Back

19 Oct, 2015 Michael Peters #peacekeeping , #procurement , #southafrica

South African businesses have been encouraged to increase their participation in the United Nations (UN) procurement processes. UN Procurement Division Field Procurement Service chief Sean Purcell pointed out recently that the amount of goods bought by the UN from South African companies declined from 2009 to 2012, increased in 2013 and decreased again in 2014 […]

Sasol sees low oil prices persisting to 2017, but expects strong upswing by decade’s end

10 Sep, 2015 Michael Peters #Dustcontrol , #dustregulations , #Dustspecialists , #Dustsuppressionproducts , #Dustsuppressionsystems , #environmentalact

Energy and chemicals group Sasol reported a 17% fall in headline earnings to R49.76/share in the year to June 30, 2015, with a strong operational performance offset by a sharp weakening in market conditions, including a year-on-year oil price decline of 33%. Outgoing President and CEO David Constable indicated that the group expected oil prices […]