Four more Galileo navigation satellites have been launch on an Ariane 5 rocket in mid-December 2017, with only one launch remaining to complete the Galileo constellation and delivering global coverage. Galileo is Europe’s civil global satellite navigation system, which will allow users worldwide to know their exact position in time and space with great precision […]
At a media briefing on 7 December 2017 during the so-called “Energy Indaba”, energy minister David Mahlobo announced that the long-awaited Integrated Resource Plan for electricity, IRP 2017, had been finalised and approved by the cabinet the night before. President Jacob Zuma and Energy Minister David Mahlobo IRP 2017 sets the course for the technology […]
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has recently published two notable standards pertaining to mine safety: ISO 19434:2017 Mining – Classification of mine accidents; and ISO 17757:2017 Earth-moving machinery and mining – Autonomous and semi-autonomous machine system safety. Classification of mine accidents ISO 19434:2017, which is applicable to all surface and underground mines, establishes a […]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office in Pretoria has launched the Regional Migration Data Hub for Southern Africa (RMDHub) on 24 November 2017. The establishment of the hub is part of organisation’s response to requests by SADC Member States to enhance capacities of Governments to generate accurate and reliable data to better inform […]
Following the successful demonstration of the CropWatch crop monitoring system for South Africa, which was developed by the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space UK, the agency has joined forces with 16 other participating institutions in Africa and Europe to implement a new project under the European Union […]
Scientists at the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) have won an award at the United Nations Data for Climate Action Challenge contest for a prototype near-real time monitoring tool that reports on the state and changes in vegetation based on satellite observations. The contest tasked contestants with developing research papers or data visualisations that […]
The fifth day of the disciplinary hearing of suspended acting Eskom Group CEO and head of generation, Matshela Koko, got off to a very slow start on a wet, cold Saturday morning on 25 November 2017. The day commenced with a continuation of the inconclusive evidence of Alison Seckle, Eskom’s manager of governance and acting […]
The findings of the latest work on the draft Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity, IRP 2017, by Eskom for the South African Department of Energy (DoE) are proving to be somewhat problematic for Energy Minister David Mahlobo. Click here to download the full Eskom IRP 2017 study for DoE dated November 2017 As a result, […]
Despite terminating its nuclear new build request for information in 2017 following a court decision to halt the process, Eskom is powering ahead with plans in preparation for the tender programme to be rebooted. Acting Eskom Group CEO Sean Maritz Nuclear vendors from France, Russia and China had prepared lengthy documents to submit to Eskom […]
The low electricity price increase granted by the regulator, NERSA, for the 2016/17 financial year, coupled with declining sales volumes, rising costs and debtor payment challenges, are all working to put Eskom’s revenue, cash flow and bottom line under severe pressure. As a result, the Eskom Group profit of R6,38-bilion for the 6-month period ending […]
