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... 

Nobel laureate emphasises need for science collaboration

The key to successful research in science, and not least in Nobel Prize-winning research, is having the right research collaborators. This was highlighted by the co-winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize... 

Defence Force urged to revive ‘neglected’ Works Formation

Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence has called for the Department of Defence (DoD) to revive and capacitate the Defence Works Formation, and to treat this as a matter of urgency. The... 

South African Astronomical Observatory has added important capabilities this year

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), a ‘business unit’ of the National Research Foundation, is focused on optical astronomy and formally came into being in 1972, although it can... 

Combat energy poverty as well as achieve decarbonisation - Mantashe

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday warned that the need to transition to low-carbon energy sources sat “uncomfortably” with energy poverty in Africa. He did so in his... 

African aviation bounces back to pre-Covid levels, except in Southern Africa

Africa’s aviation sector was recovering strongly from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Southern Africa was lagging significantly behind the continent’s other three IATA sub-regions (East... 

New funding to help Africa adapt to climate change announced

New funding, totalling $55-million, to help African countries to adapt to the effects of climate change, was announced by four West European countries at the Africa Adaptation Summit on Tuesday.... 

Kenyan, Japanese groups ink geothermal power MoU

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the predominantly (70%) State-owned Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation... 

Stellenbosch University researcher wins UK scientific award

University of Stellenbosch Biomedical Sciences Department Professor Novel Chegou has been awarded the Royal Society’s Africa Prize for 2022, the university announced on Wednesday. The Royal Society... 

US President approves extension of nuclear cooperation pact with South Africa

US President Joe Biden has approved the proposed agreement with South Africa to extend the two countries’ agreement on cooperation regarding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. This approval took... 

Local defence company, business school partner to give graduates workplace experience

South African defence company Saab Grintek Defence (Saab Grintek), a subsidiary of Sweden’s Saab group, has partnered with the Sisekelo Institute of Business and Technology (Sisekelo) to implement... 

UK atomic agency selects engineering consortium to help deliver nuclear fusion project

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), which is that country’s agency for the development of nuclear fusion power, has selected a consortium, led by design, engineering and project management... 

Dow’s US plant to be powered by small nuclear reactor

US-based global multinational materials science company Dow, most famous for its chemical production (concentrated in subsidiary Dow Chemicals), has announced that it had signed a Letter of Intent... 

IATA welcomes support for long-term net-zero aviation

The outcome of the recent International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) High Level Meeting (in preparation for the United Nations specialised agency’s forty-first Assembly, to be held later this... 

Southern Africa lags in adoption of sustainable aviation fuel, despite great potential

At the recent Farnborough International Airshow, in England, US-based global major aerospace group Boeing unveiled a new tool to model data, which it designated Cascade, which was created to map... 

Global airline body reports strong recovery in air passenger traffic

The representative body of the global airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (Iata), has reported that air passenger traffic in May this year showed an accelerating recovery,... 

UK-funded low-carbon technology programme calling for proposals in South Africa

The UK government-funded Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) programme’s South African operation is calling for investment proposals from local low-carbon projects that would fight climate change but...