African Mines are in Good Condition – and Safer Ten years ago the Projects division of BBE had just completed two refrigeration and air cooling…
Mining
Ghana’s Mining Communities Are Still Not Getting Their Just Dues
By Päivi Lujala Ghana has gold, diamonds, bauxite, manganese, salt, limestone, granite and oil. Its mining and quarrying sector contributes significantly to its economy. It is…
AI in Mining: 6 things you ought to know
By Leanne Mostert, a Partner at Webber Wentzel Artificial intelligence (AI) offers prospecting and mining operations a range of new possibilities to enhance efficiencies. These…
Digitalization in the mining industry: New opportunities for Africa
By Pavel Rastopshin, Managing Director of ZYFRA Africa is a world leader in volume of reserves and the extraction of many valuable raw materials and…
Investors push for positive global change in tailings management
By Luis Alberto Torres-Cruz An interesting development emerged from the Brazil dam disaster: investors work with mining companies and regulators to improve tailings management systems.…
Many solutions, just one partner
Megadyne Group is an international company specializing in power transmission systems. The company produces and sells a wide range of products such as thermoset and…
Predictive Maintenance for Productive Mining
By Angela Kerr The mining industry operates in some of the harshest and most remote parts of the world, requiring equipment that is as reliable…
Update Safety on Mining Machinery and Save Lives
When it comes to the mining industry, focus on safety for workers and machinery is higher than ever. Still, mining is amongst the most dangerous…
The Way That Minerals Are Mined Affects Conflict in Eastern Congo
By Marijke Verpoorten, Nik Stoop and Peter van der Windt Strong evidence links the mining of minerals to local conflict in several African countries. This is…
How Powerful Mining Corporations Flagrantly Plunder the Global South without Consequence
By Nate Singham The process of corporate plunder in the global mining industry is severely aggravating social and economic inequalities across the planet. “The meek…
Now is the time to relook collaborative contracting
By Euan Massey, Director: MDA Construction & Technology Attorneys Mining, construction and oil & gas (O&G) projects are usually technically challenging and often result in…
Africa Can Get More From Its Minerals
By Vuyo Mjimba, Human Sciences Research Council Multinational firms from Europe, North America and more recently China still dominate the extraction and refining of most…
The science of cooling becomes an art
From design to implementation BBE can guide you in determining the optimum cooling infrastructure required to tackle the heat loads emanating from the combination of…
Mining conflicts multiply, as critics of “extractivism” assembled
By Professor Patrick Bond The World Social Forum’s “Thematic Forum on Mining and Extractivism” convened from 12-15 November 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa, just after…
What global rules against ‘blood gold’? Small miners have to eat
When his fellow miners winch him up from the hole in the desert, Keith Gushure is covered in mud. Gushure, 21, holds a pick and…
A climate change bill that needs changing
By Justine Sweet, With comments due on 8 August 2018, the time to consider and submit comments on the draft Climate Change Bill is…
How Kabila and the Mining Giants Went From Best Friends to Adversaries
By Claude Kabemba & Pascal Kambale Why has the DRC’s president had a complete change of heart? For much of this year, two of the…
Is Your Phone Tainted By the Misery of the 35 000 Children in Congo’s Mines?
By Siddharth Kara Our computers and phones keep us connected but a key ingredient in them keeps children as young as six locked in…
Ethiopia Mining Industry Signals Growth with New Deals
Danish cement mining company and Canadian East Africa Minerals have been granted major mining licenses which is seen as a kick for Ethiopian mining industry…
The Mandela Mining Precinct Launched
The South African Minister of Science and Technology, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, launched the Mandela Mining Precinct, one of the outcomes of the Mining Phakisa. The Minister…
Oil
A new decade rich in promise for African oil & gas is dawning.
In no particular order, here are some of the industry stories that have caught our eye recently! South Africa’s Brulpadda field development & further South…
Is the scent of oil a solution for Somalia?
By Peter Fabricius, ISS Consultant Somalia has enough problems as it is. Now the resource curse, so fatal to many other African countries, appears to…
How Liquefied Natural Gas could change South Africa’s fortunes
By Marie Blanche Ting, Doctoral researcher, University of Sussex The development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) could help transform the South African economy, spur re-industrialisation, reduce…
Angola’s oil could actually be the DR Congo’s. Here’s why it isn’t
By Patrick Edmond, Kristof Titeca & Erik Kennes Angola’s politics lives off oil. The natural resource amounts for nearly 40% of GDP and 75% of government revenues. It has brought foreign…
Oil & Gas and Blockchain: Fad or truly disruptive?
First there was big data and now Blockchain is being hailed as the next transformative technology. It took the oil price crash and the resulting…
Why Natural Resource Finds Are More Than Just a Curse – the Case of Mozambique
By Gerhard Toews and Pierre-Louis Vézina Natural resources are often thought of as a curse in developing countries, slowing economic growth rather than driving it.…
Who Will Gain From South Sudan Expanded Oil Production?
Juba is keen to see the black gold pumping as South Sudan emerges out of a civil war that caused close on 400,000 deaths. Deutsche…
What Kenya Can Do to Ensure Local People Benefit From Its Oil Industry
By Melba K. Wasunna Six years ago, Kenya discovered commercially viable oil deposits in the Turkana region. The find is expected to boost economic growth…
Cleaner gas could bridge transition to greener energy, experts say
Fossil fuels are unfashionable but necessary, and the journey towards economies fueled by green energy begins with a switch from oil and coal to the…
10 developments that will shape Africa’s energy sector in 2019
By NJ AYUK After a year of rebound and recovery, Africa’s old and new hydrocarbons markets have an opportunity to further entrench the continent’s…
Oil Production Resumes in South Sudan’s Unity State
Oil is again being pumped from fields in South Sudan’s former Unity state, five years after production was halted because of fighting between government soldiers…
New Organisational Model Prevents Conflicts of Interest in Oil Sector
The new organisational model introduced in the Angolan oil sector is intended to bring about greater efficiency to the state-owned National Fuel Society (Sonangol) and…
Mechanical pipe systems can help oil companies streamline operations
Mechanical pipe systems can help oil companies streamline operations By Arrie Nel, PwC’s “Africa Oil and Gas Review” for 2017, which was released…
New technology enables action on CO2 emissions in the Oil & Gas Industry
New technology enables action on CO2 emissions in the Oil & Gas Industry By Lana Ginns An International Energy Agency (IEA) report, “CO2 Emissions from…
How Oil Spills Increase Infant Deaths in Niger Delta
How Oil Spills Increase Infant Deaths in Niger Delta By Chukwuma Muanya New research from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, has demonstrated for the…
How Oil Exploration Is Adding to Mali’s Security Woes
How Oil Exploration Is Adding to Mali’s Security Woes By Julie Snorek Mali is one of the least developed countries in the world, with nearly…
Fracking the Karoo in South Africa
Fracking the Karoo in South Africa By Tilden Hellyer There are high hopes that shale gas will be abundantly available in the Karoo region of…
Are Combustion Engines Reaching Peak Demand?
Are Combustion Engines Reaching Peak Demand? By Peter Tertzakian Imagine if we woke up tomorrow and read the headline, “GLOBAL PACT: ALL COUNTRIES AGREE TO…
President Buhari Can Help Ogoniland Clean Up Oil Pollution
By Ademola Adenle The Nigerian government has finally started the clean-up of oil-soaked Ogoniland after years of inaction. A billion dollars has been committed to what has…
How millennials could bring the oil industry to its knees
By Julianne Geiger Maybe in better times, the staggering population of the millennial demographic would be a hurdle over which Big Oil could easily leap.…
Power
Fuel Flexible CFB Technology in Large Scale Power Generation
The use of Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW) circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustion technology has grown from small-scale applications to large ultra-supercritical power plants in less…
Solar Answers in Sub Saharan Africa – What, Why and When
By James Green, MD Ubersolar As we enter into the 2020’s, the decade by 2030 will have proven to have seen an explosion in solar…
Creating the conditions for a globally just energy transition
How can the energy transition be organized in a globally just way? Will developing countries struggle to transition to clean energy because they lack the…
Why energy storage is an essential ingredient in grid modernization
If the energy industry was a solar system, energy storage might very well be the sun. At least, that’s the perspective of Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO…
Switching on one step at a time
SDG 7: affordable and clean energy Africa is making progress with efforts to provide people with electricity, but much more needs to be done to…
It’s clean, powerful and available: Are you ready for hydrogen energy?
By Dr.Yongping Zhai As the world responds to the challenges of climate change, energy systems are evolving, and evolving fast. The past 10 years have…
How a perfect storm is driving microgrids into the mainstream
By Will Agate Given the diverse benefits that microgrids provide – reductions in energy costs, business risk, and carbon emissions, and increases in resiliency and…
The Challenges of Deploying Mini-Grids in Kenya
If universal energy access is to be achieved under the Sustainable Development Goals, those looking to renewable energy solutions to address energy access gaps need…
Why the outlook for fixing Nigeria’s energy crisis isn’t good
By Nnaemeka Vincent Emodi Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999. But it took another 16 years for power to change hands, with the All Progressive…
End Energy Poverty in Africa to Combat Climate Change
By Abdul Tejan-Cole Black carbon – emitted by gas and diesel engines and released through the burning of wood, peat, charcoal, and other solid fuels…
Responding to Africa’s Power Requirements
Finland based Geneset Powerplants Ltd has 25 years’ experience in the power & energy generation sector, handling and servicing customer groups which include among others…
How Sub-Saharan Africa Can Harness Its Big Electricity Opportunities
By Mercè Labordena Electricity lifts people out of poverty and improves their health and standards of living. Yet 1.3 billion of the world’s people don’t…
Distributed Energy Systems – Best Path for Poverty Reduction
By Desta Mebratu Despite being a continent with abundant energy resources, a great chunk of the African population still lacks access to electricity. This could…
Crowdfunding Solar and Wind Powered Projects in Africa
By Matt Chester As the Internet serves to democratize the world and enable strangers to share everything from their spare bedrooms to their personal cars through…
Why coal has no place in Kenya’s energy future
By DOROTHY OTIENO A fall in the cost of renewable energies, ever-improving technologies and the threat of climate change have all come together to make…
The Energy Transition: What Does It Mean For Africa?
While businesses across much of Africa struggle with lack of reliable electricity, the world is witnessing the dawn of a new age in the energy…
Revolutionising Wind Energy Generation Technology
The decentralization of energy generation systems will be an inherent and important part of energy policy in the coming years. The generation of electrical energy…
Revolutionary PoweReliability-as-a-Service Platform Now in Africa
Compiled by Chege Moses Kasaija Navigant Research, says in a recent whitepaper report, that the global energy system is shifting to cleaner, more affordable, and…
Contributing Towards Africa’s Energy Self-Sufficiency
In an exclusive interview with African Power, Mining & Oil Review, Mr. Iwasuke Shimada, Managing Director, Toshiba Africa, agrees that African customers tend to be…
The three major challenges for utilities
By Martin Dunlea, Global Industries Lead for Utilities at Oracle The utilities industry faces new opportunities and challenges brought on by the march of a…
Products
TLT-Turbo Fan Range Redesigned Specific Mining Industry Needs
Global ventilation fans and systems manufacturer, TLT-Turbo GmbH, recently announced the redesign of its Auxiliary and Booster fan range. Developed in close collaboration with clients,…
Li-ion UPS battery from Schneider Electric
Up until recently, Lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries have not been commercially adopted as batteries for single-phase UPSs. While used in various other applications, they didn’t provide…
Effective and Safe Wireless Communication Products
AMETEK Drexelbrook, a world leader in level measurement technology, is for the third time this year expanding its product line, this time with an extensive…
Yokogawa Releases the DTSXTM1 Fiber Optic Heat Detector
Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that it has developed the DTSXTM1 fiber optic heat detector, an OpreXTM Field Instruments heat sensing and fire detection solution. Housed…
Dellner Brakes acquires JHS Jungblut
Swedish-based marine and industrial brake supplier Dellner Brakes has acquired German brake specialist JHS Jungblut in a move that will strengthen the company’s offering in…
Axis introduces explosion-protected PTZ dome camera
Axis Communications has added ExCam XPT Q6055 Explosion-Protected PTZ Network Camera with low weight and profile, to simplify installation in hazardous environments. The PoE-powered camera…
Projects
Exploration activities gain momentum in Mauritania
Underneath the Atlantic Ocean, lapping the West African coast, sits substantial pockets of oil & gas. This is certainly the case in Mauritania, and the…
Congo May Join Nigeria As Africa’s Largest Oil Producers
Republic of Congo could produce nearly 1 million barrels of crude per day following a new oil discovery in the country, a company involved told…
Gakara mine ready for expansion
With battery and electric vehicle technology quickly becoming the global standard for transportation, Africa’s rare earth metals are in hot demand. Projects like the Gakara…
Call for investment in a coal mine
The Polish company JSW Adams plans to mine coal in Zumbo district, in the western Mozambican province of Tete, according to a report on Radio…
Hanergy to deliver 400 MW of solar to Democratic Republic of Congo
Chinese solar company Hanergy Thin Film Power Group has won a deal to build the first solar PV plants in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hanergy will deliver…
President Kenyatta Launches Africa’s Biggest Wind Power Plant
About 70% of the nation’s electricity comes from renewable sources – more than three times the global average Kenya recently unveiled Africa’s largest wind power…