Projects Magazine

SKF announces the introduction of its Lincoln lubrication pinion LP2 for open gear wheels and gear racks. Complementing SKF’s existing lubrication pinion line, the reliable LP2 features a modular design and the capability to lubricate fast-rotating applications up to 80 r/min. As the lubrication pinion LP2 does not require pressurised air, there is no spray mist to contaminate the environment. Also, higher-viscosity lubricants, such as NLGI grade 2 grease, can be applied. When compared to manual lubrication, use of LP2 pinions provides better quality lubrication and reduces costs, labour and the risk of accidents. The modular design enables customers to configure the lubrication pinion to meet specific application requirements. The LP2 is suitable for wind, mining, construction, marine and material handling applications, as well as slewing or pitch bearings. Combining more than 100 years of SKF and Lincoln expertise, SKF offers the industry’s most complete portfolio of innovat...

As renewable energy sources continue their global success story, the demand for integrating them into the current South African energy and industry landscape grows. thyssenkrupp now offers a key technology for renewables integration: Industrial scale water electrolysis for large projects. Developed by experts from thyssenkrupp, the solution which is based on worldwide leading electrolysis technologies makes large-scale hydrogen production from electricity economically attractive. By splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, this technology delivers “green” hydrogen, a clean, CO2-free energy carrier. The only inputs needed are water and renewable electricity from wind, hydro power or photovoltaics. ‘Green’ hydrogen production is ideal for long-term energy storage, hydrogen mobility and other applications, making optimal use of renewable energy sources. The advanced water electrolysis features a well-proven cell design paired with an especially large active cell area of 2.7 m2. By fu...

The Coast Development Authority (CDA) plans to resuscitate the Galole Integrated Fruit Processing Plant which will significantly help mango farmers in Tana River County. CDA managing director Mohamed Keinan said the government has set aside Sh145 million to revive the plant and to increase production capacity. The plans entail automating the plant and installing larger machines than the former ones. “We are revamping not only production capacity but also the speed to achieve both quality and quantity for better revenues, “he said: When production capacity is increased, the plant is expected to produce 12,000 tonnes of pulp annually compared to the previous 2,880 tonnes per year. The project will help 30,000 mango farmers from Lamu, Tana River and Kilifi counties while at least 2,000 farmers will be trained on best agricultural practices. Additionally, nearly 80 residents will benefit from direct employment while 1,500 will benefit indirectly. The plant, which was first established...

When a key OEM customer approached SKF for a high quality Hub Seal solution on their trailers, the CR Scotseal Hybrid, with its sealed for life hub arrangement and simplicity of fitment, met every required specification. The customer manufactures and supplies trailers to customers across the vast southern African region. “With its typical landscape of long distances, rugged terrain and remote areas, breakdowns in the middle of nowhere are simply not an option for end-users as it can take days to source service and parts,” says Ettienne Schoeman, SKF Key Accounts Manager – Commercial Vehicles. “Superior quality and reliability is therefore of paramount importance and this goes for each and every part and component on our customer’s trailers. Critical components like hub seals have to be of world-class quality and that is why the OEM turned to us secure in the knowledge that SKF, renowned for its quality products, would come up with not only a superior product but also provide the nece...

As sports’ performance at school level increases, equipment and facilities need to develop to match this advanced playing style. Turftech (Pty) Ltd, the leader in natural and synthetic turf technology, is bringing this performance-enhancing sporting turf to South African schools with Ashton International College Benoni the latest recipient. In April this year, Ashton International College Benoni unveiled its immaculate new Turftech sports’ facilities. This includes the 7000m² multi-court facility, constructed with Rhino-Turf VT32; as well as the MT15F rust-coloured Rhino-Turf athletics’ track with sand infill. There is also the Rhino-Turf MT15 green long jump facility with sand infill. The multi-court best suited to soccer, hockey and softball – provides optimum use of premium space across the various sports’ codes. six-month installation project The six-month installation project involved complete earthworks, layer works, drainage, fencing and finally the installation of the high-te...

Emira Property Fund’s The Bolton in Rosebank will start welcoming residents early August to its stylish new apartments. The chic urban lifestyle offered by The Bolton is the result of Emira’s value-enhancing conversion of its Rosebank office property assets formerly occupied by Sasol into a contemporary residential apartment development. The conversion caters to the demand for residential accommodation from working millennials in this bustling business node. The Bolton responds to an undersupply of residential accommodation in the area with a premium address in an excellent location, competitive rentals, high management standards and a compelling array of popular amenities. Ulana van Biljon, COO of Emira, reports that the conversion solution and design are excellently matched to the buildings. Construction on the R200m project began in September 2017 and it has progressed seamlessly, including the addition of two new floors using a special light-weight solution. Van Biljon also co...

In a groundbreaking move, Growthpoint Properties has successfully taken a sizeable South African commercial building completely off the municipal water grid. The District, in the heart of Woodstock in Cape Town, has become Growthpoint’s first “water net-positive” building. It is also the first of several commercial properties in Cape Town that Growthpoint intends to take off-grid. The multi-tenant office and retail building has seven floors and five basement levels with 18,721sqm of lettable area that accommodates a charismatic community of 25 businesses. It is used by around 1,750 people daily who together consume around 45,000 litres of water per day. Timothy Irvine, Growthpoint Properties’ regional asset manager for the Western Cape, says: “By taking The District and other commercial buildings off the water grid, and substituting municipal water with a safe and sustainable alternative source of drinking water, we are taking pressure off the city’s potable water reserves, addin...

Wednesday, 18 July 2018: Growthpoint Properties (Share Code: GRT) shares began trading onA2X today as it became the first property company and tenth counter to join the exchange with its secondary listing. Growthpoint retains its primary listing on the JSE. Growthpoint is an international property company with assets on three continents and South Africa’s largest listed REIT. It provides space to thrive with innovative and sustainable property solutions and owns and manages a diversified portfolio of property assets. Growthpoint has a market capitalisation of R80 billion and is a constituent of the FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index, a Top 10 constituent of the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Emerging Index and has spent eight years in the FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index. Norbert Sasse, Group CEO of Growthpoint Properties, says: “By taking up a secondary listing on the A2X platform, Growthpoint is enabling increased choice and encouraging competition aligned with global b...

The new 11,000sqm special surgical Pretoria Head and Neck Hospital, developed by Growthpoint and Cintocare, broke ground today to become the first of its kind in Africa. The cost to build the hospital is estimated at R450 million. Working closely together, Growthpoint and Cintocare are creating a clinical centre of excellence that focuses exclusively on the head and neck, spinal and vascular surgery with highly specialised medical professionals and state-of-the-art technology. The development partnership is delivering the full suite of services for the hospital - from inception to completion. The building comprises seven floors; the hospital plantroom, three clinical and consulting levels and three parking levels. This 100-bed hospital, with the built-in capacity to expand to 160 beds, will have five theatres, one of which is a hybrid. The hospital has 335 secure, structured parking bays. Bulk earthworks for the project are underway and construction will begin in August. The bui...

ST. CATHARINES, Ontario (May 25, 2018) – Haver & Boecker, a leading equipment manufacturer and solutions provider for aggregates and mining applications, offers the Tyler L-Class vibrating screen for classifying wet or dry material as well as an ideal dewatering method. The compact machine is versatile and easy to maintain, with no timing belts or gears that normally need replacing. Producers can customize the 6-foot-wide machine in two lengths, a 16- and 20-foot length. Primarily mounted horizontally, the L-Class can also be inclined or declined as much as 3 degrees. The linear L-Class handles up to 400 tph and features a 45-degree mounted double-shaft overhead drive system with direct-mounted motors. Producers can access multiple speed and stroke options by changing the pulleys and plate weights. The application-specific body design offers simplified maintenance with a one-piece removable head and shaft assembly. In addition, unlike most linear-stroke machines, the L-Class do...

Deputy President William Ruto has revealed that the Government is planning to construct a modern Gikomba market at a cost of Ksh 3 billion over the next 2 years. This comes on heels following the recent Gikomba arson tragedy last month. He says the modern market will help in prevention of perennial fires while giving traders a better environment to carry out their businesses. Traders had in the beginning of the month been stopped from re-building their stalls so as to pave way for the re-building of the market. The fires have always remained a mystery to the public while others speculate business rivalries and illegal grabbing of land. In 2015, residents claimed that original landowners in Majengo, Gorofani and Gikomba were being evicted by people who had allegedly been irregularly allocated title deeds by Nairobi. Gikomba market is known for its informal trade of second hand clothes, groceries and furniture.

The Coast Development Authority (CDA) plans to resuscitate the Galole Integrated Fruit Processing Plant which will significantly help mango farmers in Tana River County. CDA managing director Mohamed Keinan said the government has set aside Sh145 million to revive the plant and to increase production capacity. The plans entail automating the plant and installing larger machines than the former ones. “We are revamping not only production capacity but also the speed to achieve both quality and quantity for better revenues, “he said: When production capacity is increased, the plant is expected to produce 12,000 tonnes of pulp annually compared to the previous 2,880 tonnes per year. The project will help 30,000 mango farmers from Lamu, Tana River and Kilifi counties while at least 2,000 farmers will be trained on best agricultural practices. Additionally, nearly 80 residents will benefit from direct employment while 1,500 will benefit indirectly. The plant, which was first establishe...

Kenya is set to receive a grant of $15Mn (Ksh 1.51 Bn) from Demark for a water and sanitation project in 8 counties through the Green Growth Employment Programme. The 8 counties that are set to benefit include Isiolo, Marsabit, Garrissa, Wajir, Mandera, Lamu, Tana River and Turkana. C.S for water and irrigation Simon Chelgui says that each county will receive $700,000 (Ksh 70.5Mn) for the projects and the funds will be channeled through the Water Services Trust Fund (WSTF). The project will support water resources management initiatives and other activities. WSTF has since undertaken several engagements and conducted a call for proposals to identify potential applicants for the grant which is expected to benefit both host and refugee communities. The Denmark-Kenya Green Growth and Employment Thematic Programme objective is “Inclusive greener growth with higher employment” and will be achieved by focusing support on two intervention areas: sustainable growth and jobs from investment...

Operations at Kenya’s oilfield in Turkana County have come to a standstill after residents’ protests disrupted the transportation of oil to Mombasa, said Tullow Oil’s chief executive yesterday. Tullow Oil has, therefore, halted the early oil pilot scheme and works at the site due to protests and insecurity, a decision that could delay plans to produce first oil by 2021. Under the scheme, trucks have been transporting about 600 barrels of oil every day to Mombasa before a pipeline is constructed. The pipeline is expected to be operational by 2022. Protests Over Insecurity The local community has been protesting insecurity in the area where banditry and cattle rustling are common. The residents now want the government to deploy more security forces in the region arguing that if their safety is not guaranteed, the safety of the oil being transported can be compromised as well. Tullow Oil’s chief executive Paul McDade said: “What you saw locally was the local people, the community […]...

Protea Hotels by Marriott Pretoria Hatfield this week opened an additional wing with 86 rooms and enhanced facilities, following the completion of a major construction project that started in mid-2017. This is in line with Pretoria’s growth in demand for quality accommodation that Protea Hotels by Marriot parent company Marriott has seen, says Marriott International Middle East and Africa VP Volker Heiden. “This is particularly true for the suburb of Hatfield, which is a popular location for both business and residential. The suburb has attracted a lot of interest from travellers to the city, with it being near the University of Pretoria, the Loftus Versfeld Rugby Stadium, the city centre and many embassies,” said Heiden. The hotel now has 205 guest rooms, with other new features including the African Restaurant and Bar, additional meeting rooms and conference facilities, a gym and a games room. The additional conference facilities allow for the hotel to host up to 220 delegates, ...

The Kenya Pipeline Company says construction of the Ksh 5.3 billion storage tanks that will be used to facilitate new Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline is complete. The tanks will provide receipt of higher volumes of diesel and super petrol products. The storage tanks with a capacity of 133 million litres have more than doubled the storage capacity of diesel and super petrol from the current 100 million litres to 233 million litres effectively providing sufficient capacity for receipt of higher volumes of product through the new Line 5. The new 20-inch pipeline will ensure sustained, reliable and efficient transportation of petroleum products in the region over the next three decades. “Besides guaranteeing security of supply of petroleum products, the new tanks will also enhance operational flexibility and increase tank turnaround at Kipevu resulting in more ullage creation at KOSF and reduction of demurrage charges,” says Joe Sang KPC Managing Director. While inspecting the new tanks last ...

A new fit-for-purpose ‘Sure’ product range cement has been launched in South Africa by PPC Cement South Africa; this is in line with their re branding and refocusing in over 100 years. PPC Cement South Africa MD Njombo Lekula confirmed the reports and explained that the Sure range indicates a greater customer focus, and a renewed vote of confidence in the country and its growth potential. The Sure range cement The MD pointed out that the Sure range was developed in direct response to market demand for a range of products designed for specific applications, and comprises Surewall, Surecem, Sureroad, Surebuild, Surecast and Suretech. Two of the products, Surewall and Surecast, are new, while the other ranges are existing products that have been re-branded and redesigned. “The brand positioning of ‘strength beyond’ encapsulates the limitless possibilities we see as we strive to fulfill our purpose; we exist to empower people to experience a better quality of life,” the company stated...

The Government of Uganda is set to receive a boost to its energy sector after India has offered a loan of US $141m to help the East African country expand its electricity distribution infrastructure. According to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the loan would be extended to Kampala to build electricity transmission lines and substations. The sector’s financing gap is currently estimated at more than US $500 m, reflected in worn-out sections of the country’s power supply network and a low electricity penetration rate of less than 20 % of the population. “Any investment in the power sector is welcome. We still need funds for the repair of old supply infrastructure in some areas and construction of new distribution lines in areas that are not connected to the national electricity grid. So far, the Europeans have dominated investments in the mini hydro generation sub sector while China has dominated the large hydro generation segment through financing and construction of the Karuma...

The Building Bridges Initiative Taskforce will hold consultations with organisations that are planning to hold conferences on war against corruption. In a press release by Joint Secretaries Martin Kimani and Paul Mwangi on Wednesday, the consultations will inform the team's preparations of a citizens' conversation on corruption, which was planned for August 6-8 but has been postponed. "The conference will seek to open space for citizen voices to be heard clearly in this important national moment. The Taskforce is convinced that combating corruption will entail the creation of conditions for individual citizens, groups and communities to set the cultural and social conditions that uphold integrity, honour and our constitutional values," the statement says. The Taskforce concluded its third consultation and deliberation retreat today. MEMORANDA Further, the Secretariat has asked the public to send proposals on the nine-point Joint Communique that aims to foster dur...

The ongoing construction of the four footbridges along Thika Highway will be complete by December 2018 according to KeNHA’s assistant director for communication Charles Njogu. Once the construction is complete, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) will get rid of all the speed bumps at the four locations to speed up traffic flow and improve pedestrian safety. Interways Works Limited has been contracted to construct the Witeithie and Mang’u footbridges at a cost of $4.3 million while FourWay Construction Limited will install the Garden City and Survey of Kenya footbridges at a cost of $3.9 million. The construction of the four footbridges began in May. Additional Infrastructure KeNHA will also build a bus stop, mini stalls, and public toilets that the contractor overseeing the maintenance of the highway will take charge of. KeNHA is mulling over floating an infrastructure bond through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and concessions of targeted roads in order to reduce i...

East African Breweries Limited (EABL) said on July 17 that its new brewery in Western Kenya worth Sh15 billion is ready to begin production after a successful testing process. The Western Kenya brewery will produce Senator Keg beer for two years before moving to brands such as Tusker. Senator Keg beer, which is one of EABL’s fastest growing brands in recent years, is produced using locally-grown sorghum. The brand is popular with price-conscious consumers who are shifting from illegal brews to legal ones. The brewer announced plans to invest in the new brewery in Kisumu last year with the aim of meeting increasing demand in the region. EABL, partly owned by Britain’s Diageo, has operations in Uganda and Tanzania. The company has also started producing Captain Morgan rum due to increasing demand.

State-owned freight rail company Transnet’s R2.38-billion Manganese Rail Phase 1 Expansion project created about 2 200 employment opportunities in the remote Northern Cape region and provided skills development and training to local staff. The project involved the upgrade of 114 km of rail lines and stations, and the construction of 3 km of new electrified track to increase the capacity to transport manganese from Hotazel to the Port of Ngqura to 16- million tons a year, created job and business opportunities for local residents. The project represents investment by Transnet and extends from Kimberley to De Aar and Rosmead. Global multidisciplinary management, engineering and development consultancy Hatch provided engineering, procurement and construction management services for the construction phase of the project. “Transnet and Hatch were committed to finding opportunities to improve facilities and resources in the area, which often are lacking in remote regions such as the Nort...

Repairs to the two platforms at Cape Town station damaged during a fire last week were completed on Tuesday. In a statement, Metrorail said Platforms 15 and 16 were back in business after repairs had been completed and structural engineers confirmed that the integrity of the overhead concrete structures had not been compromised and permanent way engineers declared the sleepers and tracks leading to the two platforms stable and fit for service. "We worked tirelessly to re-open for business as soon as possible but always with safety as priority," said Metrorail regional manager Richard Walker. "The two platforms were hives of activity as various teams worked side by side to replace and test to restore the platforms for use." Both were out of service after the two trains caught fire on Saturday in circumstances which are still under investigation by a special task team. In addition to the damaged platforms, seven rail coaches (two motor coaches and five passenger...

New firm Alliance Concrete Limited has signed up an exclusive supply partnership with Savannah Cement to provide ready mix concrete in Nairobi and its environs. Alliance Concrete Limited whose consortium of investors include both local and international, have made Ksh 600 million investment outlay, will also be seeking to capitalize on projected demand. At its Nairobi production base, Alliance Concrete Limited has installed a 120 cubic meters per hour batching plant. The plant is complemented by a fleet of 15 Concrete Truck Mixers, 2 fixed pumps and 2 boom pumps with over 40 metre pumping capacity. Ready mix concrete refers to factory prepared cement, sand and aggregate mixture delivered to construction sites for immediate application as per the customers’ specifications. Such deliveries enhance construction project efficiencies by cutting onsite concrete mixing costs and time. The firm’s General Manager, Mr. Kemal Gocmen said the firm has invested in state of the art concrete bat...

Paper and packaging producer Sappi will invest R2.7-billion in 2018 and 2019 on expanding the capacity of its Saiccor mill, in Umkomaas, south of Durban, to produce 890 000 t/y of dissolving wood pulp (DWP). The mill currently produces 780 000 t/y of DWP. Sappi will also invest a further R5-billion over five years in various continuous improvement initiatives at the mill. The investments are collectively called Project Vulindlela, and will include the installation of a new evaporator, recovery boiler and screening and washing plant, along with upgrades to the bleach plant and pulp machines, improved recovery circuits and additional magnesium digesters. Sappi CEO Steve Binnie on Monday said in a statement that Sappi has seen significant benefits in serving its global customers from its South African operations and has invested about R4.3-billion from 2012 to 2018 to increase its dissolving pulp capacity in South Africa. “This global market has shown such strong growth that Sappi w...

Cape Town's Foreshore Freeway Projects is not "dead and buried" and the City will go back to the drawing board to find another way of making the project work, Mayor Patricia De Lille said on Sunday. "It is disappointing that our first attempt did not work out," said De Lille in a statement. This was after the City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo took a decision to call it off based on legal opinion, that after an appeal over the chosen qualified bidder during the Request for Proposals (RFP) meant, that the plans could not proceed. Last week's statement by the City also said economic circumstances had changed since the original plan to develop the area was formulated. The project has had threads of political controversy running through it, with allegations of impropriety levelled against the bid evaluation committee. The ambitious project would have set out to develop the remaining six hectares of land in the CBD near the harbour in a way that dealt with the...

Real estate investment trust Growthpoint Properties and private company Cintocare on Monday broke ground on the R450-million development of an 11 000 m2 special surgical head and neck hospital, in Pretoria, which will be the first green-certified hospital in Africa. The companies are creating a clinical centre of excellence that focuses exclusively on the head and neck, and spinal and vascular surgery with highly specialised medical professionals and high-end technology. The development partnership is delivering the full suite of services for the hospital – from inception to completion. The building will comprise seven floors – the hospital plantroom, three clinical and consulting levels and three parking levels. The 100-bed hospital, with the built-in capacity to expand to 160 beds, will have five theatres, one of which is a hybrid. A hybrid operating room is a surgical theatre that is equipped with advanced medical imaging devices such as fixed C-Arms, CT scanners or MRI scanne...

US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic) president and CEO Ray Washburne this week visited South Africa and met with local banks to discuss investment opportunities in advancing development in the country and highlight Opic-supported projects. It is Washburne’s third stop on a six-country trip to promote US investment in Africa, strengthen partnerships and find opportunities to work with regional allies on projects that drive economic growth and stability throughout Africa. Among the projects Washburne visited was Opic-supported SA Taxi, which provides loans to entrepreneurs operating minibuses in South Africa. The minibuses are a key a part of the country’s transportation sector with about 67% of all South Africans using such taxis as their main means of transportation. Earlier this month, Washburne travelled to Zambia and Rwanda. He will also travel to Botswana, Uganda and Kenya, where he will meet with senior government officials and visit Opic-supported projects. Afri...

A resolution passed by City of Cape Town council earlier this week is expected to get the ball rolling in expediting housing opportunities across the city. According to a statement by the City of Cape Town, the city's Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) will now conclude the four contracts for the appointment of multi-disciplinary teams tasked with overseeing the successful implementation of housing developments. "These teams – one for each of the City's four areas – will consist of a number of professionals," said mayoral committee member for transport and urban development Brett Herron. "They will oversee and monitor the planning, design, and construction of thousands of housing opportunities across Cape Town." A resolution had to be passed through the city's council because the contracts will be in place for longer than three years. The city approved the appointments to be made on Thursday. "The go-ahead from Council enables the ...

Divercity Urban Property Fund is seeking to renew and re-energise South Africa’s urban centres, and is backed by the experience of leading property specialists and a R2-billion seed portfolio of landmark property assets. Divercity’s biggest shareholders are Atterbury Group and Ithemba Property, with Talis Property Fund also playing a major part in the establishment of the fund. Cornerstone investors are RMH Property and Nedbank Property Planners. Regulatory approval of the fund is expected by the end of July. Divercity focuses on pre-identified precincts or corridors within major South African cities, rather than individual properties. The initial R2-billion portfolio has strategic buildings hand-picked from Atterbury’s, Ithemba’s and Talis’s portfolios, including Johannesburg landmarks Newtown Junction Mall, Talis House and Turbine Hall, as well as the iconic Pan Africa Mall, in Alexandra. The portfolio also includes 4 500 residential properties from the Ithemba stable, some prop...

Chinese investors signed agreements to build a $10-billion metallurgical complex in South Africa during President Xi Jinping's state visit this week and hope to start construction next year, an executive involved in the project and a provincial official told Reuters. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a joint news conference with Xi on Tuesday that China had committed to invest $14.7-billion in the South African economy, but neither leader mentioned the $10-billion complex. Ramaphosa is on a mission to kick-start economic growth after a decade of stagnation and is targeting $100-billion in new investment over five years. The complex, which is still in the planning stage and envisages building a stainless steel plant, a ferrochrome plant and a silicomanganese plant, is a much-needed vote of confidence in the sputtering South African economy. Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies said on Tuesday that China was considering a metallurgical project in a special...