Espresso Week 27 – 2024
Opportunity Namibia: Independent business turnaround advisor to support TransNamib’s Integrated Strategic Business Plan. Immediate goals include enhancing rolling stock capacity and reliability through new technology, upgrading the workshop depot and refurbishing locomotives. Long-term investments will focus on replacing old locomotives and acquiring new assets. Premium Subscribers click here:
Status of the Zambia Railways Recapitalisation Plan Initiated in 2021
Next steps for the recapitalisation of Zambia’s Railways. This includes progress on the EUR 978.08 million contract signed in 2021 for the rehabilitation and modernisation of Zambia Railways Limited. Premium Subscribers can access the update here:
Angola Cross-border Road Transport Fees with the DRC
The President of Angola has approved a new legal framework to harmonise the fees and charges for cross-border road transport services between Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This decision addresses the disproportionate fees and non-compliance issues under the 2015 bilateral transport agreement. The framework aims to create uniform fees, delegating the authority to the relevant ministerial departments to set these fees. Revenue from these fees will be divided, with 40% allocated to the National Treasury and 60% to the entities providing the services. Additionally, 10% of the entities’ revenue will subsidise Angolan operators transporting goods to Cabinda.
( Craig add the doc from here to the site: https://mintrans.gov.ao/ao/documentos/dr-de-1-de-julho-de-2024-1-serie-n-123/ )
EBRD promotes green transition in the Moroccan mining sector
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is boosting energy efficiency in Morocco by providing a MAD 150 million (€13.6 million) loan to PROCANEQ, a subsidiary of PROCAN Group, which serves the mining industry.
To step up the sector’s green transition, the EBRD financing will be used to purchase new equipment for the extraction and transport of phosphate ore to processing facilities from several mines.
The new equipment will be more energy efficient, slashing diesel consumption and lowering the company’s carbon emissions. It will promote the employment of women machinery drivers in the mining sector, a sector traditionally dominated by men.
Morocco has an ideal geographical location and exceptional phosphate resources, holding more than 75 per cent of the world’s reserves. It is also the world’s largest phosphate exporter, led by state-owned company OCP.
ICE-SA (Institution of Civil Engineers – South African Division) presents The History of Railways
ICE-SA is excited to announce it is hosting online webinars, on the 18th July and 13th August, for Civil Engineers and others interested in rail. The webinars will be presented
by Konstantinos Tzanakakis, Operation and Maintenance Team Leader at Rail Baltica.
Webinar 1:
Date: 18th July
Time: 16H00 – 17H15 SAST
Topic: History of Railways (From the ancient “track roads” to the high-speed trains, the Maglev and the Hyperloop technology.
The lecture will begin with the ancient “track roads” dating back to 600 BC, followed by the emergence of modern railways in the early 19th century with the development of the first steam locomotive. We will briefly present the development of high-speed rail that revolutionized transportation, including a brief overview of Maglev and Hyperloop technology. We will conclude with a funny story about the railway track gauge.
Register here: MS Teams: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/0314c890-f236-4639-bcf1-cfd597e1e080@fbb91b18-50c0-40e1-89a9-6be48766ad77
With No Department of Public Enterprises, Where Does Transnet Go?
Following South Africa’s recent elections and the appointment of new ministers, uncertainty remains about which ministry will oversee Transnet. Initially, it was announced that Transnet would move to the Department of Transport. However, this decision was later backtracked, with the previous minister stating that the final decision would be made by the President after the election.
In a recent briefing, Minister Ntshavheni mentioned that the President would issue a proclamation or gazette to clarify the roles and responsibilities of various ministries, including the assignment of SOEs such as Transnet. Until this announcement is made, Transnet will reside within the Office of the Presidency.