NEWS BRIEFS
Africa’s first direct use of geothermal steam plant opens in Kenya
P Trueman Goba named honorary fellow by Royal Academy of Engineering
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he Royal Academy of Engineering named Trueman Goba, chair of Hatch Africa, an honorary fellow of the academy, recognizing him for his exceptional contributions, innovative leadership, and remarkable achievements. Goba was born in Durban, South Africa. He began his career as a survey technician and went on to graduate with a BSc Eng from University of Natal and an MEng (Civil) from Cornell University. In 2001, Goba’s company GMA merged with Keeve Steyn to form GOBA (Pty) Ltd, which merged into the Hatch Group in 2013.
lans to create a special economic zone in Nakuru are taking shape with the Geothermal Development Company launching the direct use of geothermal steam to power industrial processes. GDC Engineer Esther Njuguna says the direct use of geothermal steam will lower the cost of power by 70%. Companies located in the special economic zone will also benefit from water drawn from the wells. On 14th August 2020, Geothermal Development Company signed a Collaboration Framework Agreement with Nakuru County for the utilization of geothermal energy. The signing ceremony took place in Nairobi at the Council of Governor’s office.
steam for power generation to power producers once the power plants are ready, the Project also houses a demonstration site which showcases Direct Uses of geothermal energy. The pilot project at the site showcases various Direct Uses of geothermal resources, namely pasteurization, aquaculture, and greenhouse heating. There is also a laundromat and a grain dryer.
Nakuru is home to GDC’s Menengai Geothermal Project. In addition to the anticipated provision of
GeoPrism now provides drone surveying equipment in Morocco
In 2014, Goba was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Engineering at the South African Professional Services Awards (SAPSA). He also held a position as the president of the SA Institution of Civil Engineers (SAICE) in 2002 and was president of the engineering council (ECSA) from 2007 to 2009. In 2010 he was appointed by South Africa’s president to the first National Planning Commission and was awarded a Gold Medal by the SAICE in 2013. He has been recognized through various awards and three doctoral degrees in Engineering. “The Fellows named this year are the first to reflect the Academy’s Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2026”, announced the Royal Academy of Engineering. “This initiative will see the Academy strive for increased representation from women, disabled and LGBTQ+ engineers, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, non-traditional education pathways and emerging industries, and those who have achieved excellence at an earlier career stage than normal”. In a statement, the Royal Academy of Engineering says the fellows named this year are the first to reflect the academy’s Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups ahead of its fiftieth anniversary in 2026. In addition, the initiative also aims to propel engineers who have achieved excellence at an earlier stage in their careers than normal.
www.africasurveyorsonline.com
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eoPrism of Morocco, a company with more than 20 years of experience in the sale and introduction of high-end, technological, surveying, and geospatial solutions is the latest partner to join the Microdrones network of global distributors and offer Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) including everything needed to do drone LiDAR and surveying the right way, with convenient hardware and software packages and affordable monthly payment options.
“Microdrones offers a seamless integration between the drone, sensor and software and has a proven successful track record in mapping applications around the world,” says Biar. “At GeoPrism, customer satisfaction is key for us to develop long-term relationships and grow with our partners. Since Microdrones is known as one of the worldwide leaders in the drone market, we feel our customers can greatly benefit by using their technology and software to create better deliverables.”
Ali Biar, CEO of GeoPrism, made the decision to sign on as a distributor since Microdrones provides fully integrated systems with high-quality sensors, a fullservice solution (drone, software, data processing and support) and the mdaaS sales model that makes acquiring drone surveying equipment more affordable.
Abdel Diani, the Global Director of Distribution for Microdrones sees great promise in this new partnership. “Their goal is to offer the best technological solutions for all of their customers,” said Diani, “which aligns with our values at Microdrones. We welcome GeoPrism to our global distributor network and look forward to continued growth and success.”
Semptember-October issue l 2021
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