Airbus planning to deliver 650 airliners

Airbus President and CEO Fabrice Brégier told the world's aviation media at the company’s recent Innovation Days briefing that "[t]he focus for 2016 is, no surprise, it is to deliver!" The company,... 

Latest iteration of global student challenge launched

European airline manufacturer Airbus, part of the wider Airbus Group, has launched the 2017 Fly Your Ideas challenge for students around the world. Fly Your Ideas seeks to stimulate co-innovation... 

Mozambique’s new Nacala coal line already in line for upgrade

In Mozambique, the coal transport capacity of the new Nacala Corridor railway route, from the inland Moatize coal field to the port city of Nacala-a-Velha, will be increased with a $3-billion... 

SA invited to join Russian-led physics project to study post-Big Bang matter

Russia has invited South Africa to join Project Nica, which is a major scientific programme to build a superconducting particle collider. The name Nica is derived from the full title of the... 

Airbus unveils 3D printed unmanned test aircraft

European airliner maker Airbus has designed, built and flown an entirely 3D printed unmanned air vehicle (UAV) which it has designated Thor. This was reported by Airbus head of emerging... 

Airbus not currently planning a new airliner design

European airliner manufacturer Airbus, part of the wider Airbus Group, is not currently planning a new airline design. But that does not mean that there is no thinking about a new design. "If there... 

Armscor committed to assisting local SMMEs

South African defence acquisition and disposal, research and development (R&D) agency Armscor Chairperson, retired Vice Admiral Refiloe Mudimu, has pledged the organisation's support for local... 

Small enterprises urged to contribute to defence sector charter

Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) have been urged to provide inputs for the development of the Defence Industry Sectoral Charter, which will seek, among other things, to advance black... 

Moz coal sector under strain as country looks to cooperation with Botswana

It is reported from Mozambique that three of the companies producing coal in that country have stopped, or significantly scaled back, their mining activities. According to the Maputo daily Notícias... 

Global nuclear agency ready to help African countries adopt atomic power

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, has reaffirmed his organisation's readiness to help African countries adopt nuclear energy, if they wish to.... 

Space agency hampered by tight finances

The South African National Space Agency (Sansa) is seeking to fulfil its mission despite challenges. “All government entities are under pressure, given the state of the economy. We’re expected to... 

Mozambique seeks to handle commodity price falls and secret debt crisis

A Mozambican government minister has called on mining companies working in the country to focus on the future as it battles though the current economic downturn. Justice Minister Isaque Chande... 

Countdown begins for key South Africa-linked radio astronomy developments

South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope array will be ready to start scientific observations by the end of next month, South African Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor announced at last... 

Mitsui looking to close deal to acquire stakes in Vale’s Moz operations by next March

Japanese general trading company Mitsui & Co, part of the Mitsui group, has stated that it plans to close its deal with Brazilian mining and logistics group Vale to acquire stakes in the latter’s... 

End of commodities boom hits African countries

The global commodities super cycle has come to an end, sharply lowering the price of oil, gas, metals and minerals,” stated the World Bank in its most recent ‘Regional Overview for Africa’ review... 

African airlines suffer from excessive capacity and need smaller planes

Brazilian aerospace group Embraer, one of the world’s four biggest commercial aircraft manufacturers, has forecast that African operators will acquire 240 new jet airliners in the 70- to 130-seat... 

SA Express grounding shows regulator, industry can resolve problems fast

The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) believes that the swift resolution of the issues that led to the temporary grounding of South African State-owned regional airline SA Express... 

SA air traffic agency signs deal for regional space-based control system

South Africa’s air traffic management agency, Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), has signed an agreement with US-domiciled global space-based air traffic surveillance system company... 

End of commodities boom hits African countries

"The global commodity super cycle has come to an end, sharply lowering the price of oil, gas, metals and minerals," stated the World Bank in its most recent Regional Overview for Africa (published... 

Another Mozambique coal railway project develops, while country is hit by debt scandal

The international tender for the construction of a new railway to link Mozambique’s coal fields to the coast closed at the end of last week. The project is being developed by Thai Moçambique... 

Concern about South Africa’s ability to implement its new nuclear power programme

South Africa lacks the skills necessary to implement the government’s plan to build 9.6 GWe of new nuclear energy capacity, warns nuclear-qualified Quality Strategies International CEO David... 

Lockheed Martin outlines possible offsets should South Africa buy its airlifter

Major US aerospace and defence group Lockheed Martin believes that the ability of its C-130J Super Hercules military airlifter to be reconfigured for other missions by use of palletised roll-on... 

SA ‘will be ready’ to begin Square Kilometre Array construction in 2018

SKA South Africa (SKA SA), the local organisation responsible for the country's involvement in, and contributions to, the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope, has been... 

MeerKAT and SKA astronomy projects making ‘good progress’

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) for institutionalising cooperation in radio astronomy between South Africa and the other Square Kilometre Array (SKA) African partner countries was approved at... 

Nuclear regulator’s authority also covers component manufacturers

Any company seeking to manufacture parts, components or systems for future South African nuclear plants will have to meet the requirements of the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR). "We set safety... 

SA defence company partners Saudi Arabian counterpart in new factory

South African defence company Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has helped set up a munitions manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia in a venture with that country’s Military Industries Corporation... 

Air transport body announces strong passenger, weak cargo results

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported that the results for the world’s airlines for the fourth quarter of last year showed an improved financial performance, for all... 

Maputo seeks capital gains taxes from mining majors

Mozambique’s Tax Authority has confirmed that it is holding negotiations with Vale Mozambique, the local subsidiary of major Brazilian mining group Vale, on the payment of capital gains tax. Vale... 

South Africans contribute to key French nuclear project

South African expertise has played a key role in the development programme for France’s world-leading project to create a permanent high-level nuclear waste repository (HLNWR). This is the Cigéo... 

Most nuclear waste is not highly radioactive

Only a tiny minority of nuclear waste contains the vast majority of radiation produced by such waste. “No less than 96% of the radioactivity comes from just 0.2% of the waste volume,” highlights... 

Brazilian side of joint A-Darter missile programme hit by serious budget cuts

The Brazilian side of the joint South African/Brazilian A-Darter missile development programme has been significantly affected by severe emergency budget cuts that have taken place in the South... 

New diamond mine inaugurated in Angola

Angola’s newest diamond mining operation, the Tcheji Mining Company, had its operation formally inaugurated on April 4. The project involved an initial investment of some $15-million and the mine... 

Steenkampskraal Thorium developing own PBMR project

South African private sector company Steenkampskraal Thorium Limited (STL) is developing a design for a small modular reactor (SMR) which it calls the High Temperature Modular Reactor (HTMR). This... 

South African company eager to take part in UK small reactor tender

Steenkampskraal Thorium Limited (STL), the South African private-sector company which is developing its HTMR-100 small modular reactor (SMR) design, is very interested in participating in the... 

IAEA helps African countries develop their proposals, plans and projects

Last year, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sent Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) missions to three countries, all of them in Africa. They were Kenya, Morocco and... 

Domestic photonics sector highlighted by innovation forum

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is seeking to promote the growth and development of South Africa’s photonics industry. Photonics is the term for the science and technology of using,... 

Brazilian miner reassures on Mozambique deal with Japanese group

Brazilian mining group Vale has assured the markets that Japanese group Mitsui was not seeking a revision of the terms of its deal to buy stakes in its operations in the south east African country... 

Over 40 minerals and metals contained in seawater, their extraction likely to increase in the future

It is generally known that many minerals and metals exist, dissolved in seawater and in the waters of briny lagoons and salt lakes. According to Stanford University, in the US, seawater contains 47... 

Nuclear essential in fight against global warming – World Nuclear Association

If the world is to meet the target of restricting global warming to 2 ˚ C by 2100, then there will have to be a substantial increase in global nuclear power capacity. So affirmed incoming World... 

Eskom makes case for adding new nuclear to power mix

South African national electricity utility Eskom is excited about its imminent new nuclear era. So affirmed Group CEO Brian Molefe in an address to the recent Nuclear Africa 2016 conference, that...