Africa Surveyors September-October issue 2022 digital

Veld fires cause loss of Zesa equipment

The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (Zetdc) has warned of recurring veld fires in the country that have been damaging electricity infrastructure.

Zimbabwe currently experiences electricity blackouts due to the aging plant at its Kariba hydro power station and the main coal-driven power generators at Hwange. In a statement, Zetdc said some areas in Zimbabwe, mostly in the Western region, have been affected by veld fires which are destroying electrical equipment leaving hundreds of homes in darkness.

"The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (Zetdc) would

like to apologize to its valued customers in the Western Region for power outages due to burnt poles caused by veld fires," read the Zetdc statement.

Zesa says veld fires have been posing threats to electricity infrastructure. This has resulted in businesses and industries being affected by power outages. A recent Environmental Management Agency (EMA) report states that 3 948 fire incidents burnt 1 033 722.86 hectares of land during the 2021 fire season.

NNPC Limited acquires OVH Energy Downstream Assets

Norwegian offshore vessel operator and subsea services firm DOF Subsea on Friday announced several new project awards and a contract extension across the North Sea, Mediterranean, and Africa.

The projects combined total more than 500 vessel days, excluding optional work, and have a combined revenue of more than $80 million.

Skandi Acergy, Skandi Constructor, Skandi Seven, Skandi Skansen, Skandi Hera and selected third-party vessels will be used for the offshore execution phases.

DOF Subsea said that one of the awards was a SURF contract with a major oil & gas operator. The company did not say who the client was.

According to DOF, the SURF project includes design & fabrication of spools and installation of umbilical, lying leads, spools and various subsea equipment.

Main installation phase is scheduled for the second quarter of 2023, in the Mediterranean and shall be executed on

DOF`s construction vessel Skandi Acergy. Project management, engineering and procurement are managed by DOF`s project teams in Aberdeen and Houston.

FPSO Mooring Rectification

Another award is an FPSO mooring rectification project in West Africa. The scope includes project management, engineering, and fabrication, using the Skandi Skansen as the main installation vessel.

Also, DOF Subsea said it had secured an early phase study from an unnamed "major oil & gas operator" for the purpose of detailing cessation plans for one of its fields in the North Sea, based on utilizing the DOF fleet.

Mons Aase, CEO DOF Subsea AS, said, “I am pleased with the series of awards in the Atlantic region, securing projects across North Sea, Mediterranean and Africa. Together with previous announced contracts, our latest SURF award confirms full utilization of Skandi Acergy within the SURF segment across the North Sea, Mediterranean, and Australia from fall 2022 to summer 2023."

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has acquired OVH Energy Marketing (OVHEM), owner and operator of the Oando downstream assets. The acquisition is in line with its vision to maintain leading position in the Nigerian petroleum downstream sector.

Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, the Board Chairman of NNPC Limited, Senator Margery Okadigbo, said the acquisition, brings over 380 additional filling stations under the NNPC Retail brand in Nigeria and Togo, on our journey to attaining 1,500 stations. We will be the largest petroleum products retail network in Africa,” Okadigbo stated.

The Chairman explained that the acquisition came under an Accelerated Network Expansion (ANEX) Initiative, aimed at strengthening the Company’s downstream business portfolio, enhancing profitability and guaranteeing national energy security.

Among the downstream assets acquired by NNPC Limited are a reception jetty with a monthly capacity of 240,000MT, eight LPG plants, three lube blending plants, three aviation depots, and twelve warehouses.

In his remarks, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Ltd, Mallam Mele Kyari, said the acquisition has further strengthened the company as a vehicle for ensuring that NNPC Ltd company delivers on the energy transition goals of the country.

“Our acquisition of OVH, brings more NNPC branded fuel stations under the NNPC Retail Ltd umbrella, providing wider access to our customers, enriched supply chain and product availability across our different locations. Our goal as NNPC Ltd is to become a catalyst for massive improvement within the downstream oil and gas industry”, the GCEO further added.

DOF Subsea Bags Multiple Deals in North Sea, Mediterranean, and Africa

CEO of OVH Energy Marketing (OVHEM) Limited, Mr. Huub Stokman | image NNPC

Veld fire. image courtesy

Shelter Afrique extends Corporate Loan to MSD for housing projects in DRC

Pan-African housing development financier Shelter Afrique Board has approved a USD18.5 million commercial loan to Katanga-based real estate development company, Maison Super Development (MSD).

SHELT

is proud to announce the opening of its very own SOC in Nigeria, where it will serve as a local extension to its overseas and already established 24/7 SOC operation.

This launch comes amidst the growing need of SHELT’s Nigeria branch to step into serving the local clientele through a team that is locally present and becoming closer to our customers. The SOC extension will serve to raise the cybersecurity readiness of the clients through implementing cuttingedge technology to monitor cyber-attacks and address possible cybersecurity threats in real time and on a local platform.

On his visit to Nigeria to be present at the launch, SHELT’s Managing Director, Youssef Abillama commented saying: “It gives me so much pleasure to be here for this wonderful occasion and I know our SOC will play a pivotal role in the cyber security readiness of our clients to assist them in safeguarding their systems and increasing their resilience from a locally available support system.”

SHELT’s Nigeria Business Development Manager, Walid Bou Abssi, said: “The risks of cyberattacks are always on the increase in Nigeria and I am so proud we are part of the solution where we can monitor cybersecurity threats and respond in real time to address and resolve any possible threats that may target our clients.”

Mr. Abillama added “I would like to recognise our team members who led the project and completed it so successfully and I am glad that we are also contributing to the job market in Nigeria in the field of cybersecurity.”

The projects earmarked for the facility include Jumbo Office Building in Kolwezi; Alilac Office in Lubumbashi; and Munua Housing project in Lubumbashi, expected to be completed in the year 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively. The three projects are expected to contribute considerably to the commercial and residential real estate in the areas.

“The facility is part of shelter Afrique financial solutions targeted at Urban Regeneration.

Lubumbashi and Kolwezi are two cities gradually being transformed into major cities in the DRC and Shelter Afrique is happy to support the process by ensuring we provide financial solution that makes it easy to create a mix where both affordable housing would exist with commercial spaces to spur business activities and employment,” Shelter Afrique Ag. Managing Director Kingsley Muwowo said.

Ghana sign RLSF MOU to promote access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity in the country

In line with its mission to promote access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity, the Government of Ghana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI) for the roll out of the Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF) within the country. RLSF, a joint initiative of ATI, the KfW Development Bank and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), is a financial product that is designed to address the short term liquidity risks faced by small and medium sized Independent Power Producers (IPPs) that sell electricity to state owned power utilities – improving bankability and helping such projects reach financial close.

The signing of the MoU has come at an opportune time when the demand for energy in Ghana is increasing by 10% per year, coupled with the country’s focus on expanding the contribution of renewable energy sources towards the country’s energy mix. Thanks to the MoU, IPPs in Ghana will benefit from RLSF which was not only created to help tackle climate change and attract investments by supporting renewable energy projects in ATI’s member countries, but also to protect the IPPs against the risk of delayed payments by public offtakers.

Ghana has one of Africa’s highest rates of access to electricity at 86.63 percent with 74

percent of rural residents and 95 percent of urban residents connected to the electricity grid. Ghana also exports excess power to the neighboring countries of Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo. Additionally, the country, which currently has a total installed capacity of over 5,300 MW – aspires to industrialize, modernize its agriculture, and provide economic opportunities for its growing population. However, one of the key constraints to this vision is access to reliable and cost-efficient electric power, and the sector’s current financial deficit. RLSF will therefore be available to relieve the financial burden of the national utility, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which is often asked to provide collateral for similar liquidity instruments under power purchase agreements.

SHELT launches SOC extension in Nigeria

ATI Chief Executive Officer Manuel Moses (seated) with Ghana's Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia at the Company's AGM held June 2022 in Accra, Ghana. |Image courtesy

SHELT launches SOC extension in Nigeria|Image courtesy SHELT

Shelter Afrique AG. MD Kingsley Muwowo | Image courtesy Shelter Afrique

Slam and UAV Technology Combine to Improve Safety and Accuracy for Aggregates Industry

With onsite safety an increasingly important consideration, UAV combined with simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) LiDAR technology has been put to use by a major cement plant in France in order to improve its stockpiling measures.

Using Flyability’s Elios 3 drone and LiDAR capabilities, alongside GeoSLAM’s leading software GeoSLAM Connect, plant operators were able to create a 3D digital replica of cement material containers, offering a unique look into storage management and stockpile measurement systems, and providing greater accuracy and safety for those working onsite.

Stored in huge silos measuring up to 25 metres in height, clinker, a binding agent commonly used in the manufacturing of cement, is an important commodity for cement plants and stock levels, and must be accurately calculated for effective production planning.

At most cement plants, operators continue to use a manual approach for tracking clinker inventory levels – a routine that requires employees to stand on a platform inside the silo, and, using a long pole, poke around the clinker to feel and estimate how much clinker is currently available. These estimations are reported back to the plant production teams for forward planning.

Rather than exposing workers to dusty, dark and potentially dangerous environments, not to mention producing inaccurate inventory data, one cement plant has embraced technological enhancements, deploying Flyability’s Elios 3 drone to take a deeper look into the clinker silos.

Using a LiDAR sensor to collect highly precise data while in flight, the Elios 3 was able to collect measurements from all areas of the silo. Using GeoSLAM Connect to accurately process the point cloud, a fully comprehensive 3D digital replica of the container and clinker levels was created.

EAASI joins the UNGGIM-PSN to reinforce global partnerships

The European Association of Aerial Surveying Industries (EAASI) has recently become a member of the Private Sector Network of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UNGGIM-PSN). One of EAASI´s objectives is to serve as a platform for communication and cooperation to enact positive change in the aerial surveying industry. With this new partnership, the non-profit association aims to reinforce the global geospatial infrastructure, providing its specific expertise in aerial imagery.

“EAASI is delighted with this new alliance. Our members are the more significant actors in the generation of geodata from airborne platforms in Europe. Our datasets provide all users with actionable spatial intelligence for solving burning societal problems. We would like to collaborate with United Nations and private companies to share our knowledge and work together towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda”, says Dr. Simon Musäus, President of EAASI. “The aerial surveying industry can certainly assist with monitoring key indicators of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

“The geospatial industry is making huge strides in technology advancement, application development, and implementation across varied economic sectors. UNGGIM–PSN represents an important component of the broad geospatial ecosystem and is committed to representing and supporting sustainable development goals (SDGs) and aligning itself with the values and purpose of commonality and cohesiveness of UNGGIM”, explained Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Chair UN-GGIM PSN (CEO, Geospatial World).

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UNGGIM) was established in July 2011 by the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC), to strengthen international cooperation in the area of global geospatial information management.

with

EOI Space, a company deploying lowflying small satellites that provides intelligence to government and commercial customers, has announced its deal with SpaceX to launch EOI’s first satellite using the SpaceX rideshare program. SpaceX, which designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, has a unique service that allows small satellite owners to share space on its missions.

EOI’s first satellite, a technology demonstrator, is manifested to launch in 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This demonstration mission will allow EOI to test and validate its technology, ensuring the satellite’s configuration and operational parameters meet the desired mission applications. Providing imagery at a 15 cm (6-inch) ground sample distance will enable EOI to

deliver worldwide high-resolution imagery and location data in a timely manner, never previously seen from commercial satellites.

“This is an exciting time for us as EOI will be the first private company to operate in VLEO. Our first satellite launch is just the beginning of EOI’s mission to provide the highest resolution commercially available imagery and near real-time data delivery to our government and commercial customers,” said Christopher Thein, CEO of EOI. “We look forward to working with SpaceX on additional rideshares as we complete manufacturing a series of satellite rollouts in the near future.”

Image credit: EAASI

LiDAR and Digital Surface Models from Bluesky Aid Wind Farm Planning

An Irish hydrological consultancy firm is saving significant time and expense by using LiDAR datasets from Bluesky International, the aerial survey and mapping company. Hydro-Environmental Services (HES) carries out essential analysis for public and private clients to determine optimal layouts (from a drainage and environmental impact perspective) for wind farm sites that are often planned in remote upland forested areas.

Mapping prevailing drainage patterns is a key part of the assessment stage in addition to ensuring that existing areas of environmental importance, like peatlands which store carbon, are not significantly disturbed. Michael Gill is a Director at HES and he explains: “To analyse the drainage patterns for proposed wind farm sites we need a clear picture of where the existing streams and drainage channels are located. Available national river mapping only goes so far in providing the information we need, so for a more detailed site-specific

picture of current drainage patterns we are now using LiDAR imagery from Bluesky.

The LiDAR data means we can generate a comprehensive and accurate definition of site drainage in advance of site surveys when groundtruthing and environmental monitoring are undertaken. Importantly, the enhanced drainage definition we can extract from the LiDAR data is used in our constraints studies to identify areas of proposed sites that are not suitable for development.”

HES is using Bluesky’s Digital Terrain Models (DTM) specifically to analyse areas under tree canopies to assess what is happening in terms of forestry drainage. Mr Gill added: “Using the DTM data we can digitise forestry

drainage to supplement and enhance our drainage mapping datasets. We can then export the enhanced drainage mapping to engineering drawings and integrate into proposed drainage plans for wind farm site planning applications. Without these data, we would have to physically survey the undertree canopy areas and this would prove near impossible given the scale and topography of many of the sites.”

Groupe Gorgé has announced having reached a major milestone with the acquisition of iXblue. This operation, that will bring ECA Group and iXblue together, will lead to the rise of a European high-tech industrial champion in the fields of robotics, maritime, navigation, aerospace and photonics. The two companies will benefit from a global workforce of 1,500 people and will achieve an annual turnover of €250 million. Together, iXblue and ECA Group will provide customers with a unique offer ranging from components to complex systems to support critical missions in severe environments.

“In addition to our complementary activities, both our companies share a common DNA centered around innovation and entrepreneurship. This acquisition by Groupe Gorgé, that puts iXblue and ECA Group under the same roof, will enable us to create new synergies and strengthen our capacity to invest in research and development to offer

solutions that are always at the cutting edge of technology,” rejoices Fabien Napolitano, President & CEO of iXblue.

Dominique Giannoni, CEO of ECA Group, adds: “With the combination of the technological expertise and global footprint of the two companies, we will provide unmatched value

to our customers through our comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions. This operation consolidates our leadership in our markets and offers excellent growth prospects. The teams of our two companies have already started working closely together. We see great development opportunities that we are eager to share with our customers.”

Groupe Gorgé completes the acquisition of iXblue, paving the way to bringing ECA Group and iXblue together

Image credit: iXblue and ECA Group

Image credit: Bluesky

Offshore Technology Africa 2022

With 18,950 miles of coastline, shared by 38 Countries, newly discovered offshore gas reserves, extensive offshore wind potential, technological advancements in tidal power, ocean current power, OTEC, and marine floating PV. Africa’s offshore energy potential is perhaps the most underdeveloped resource across the continent.

Offshore Technology Africa (OTA) launches in Cape Town, South Africa, in November 2022 to enable Governments, Financiers, Developers, Solution and Technology providers to come together to expedite the unlocking of Africa’s vast and transformative offshore energy potential.

Offshore Technology Africa will take the form of interactive boardrooms, allowing all participants to get involved in collaborative and productive discussions. All attendees should come prepared to participate in a collaborative environment and leave with productive outcomes.

Geo Week 2023

Geo Week is the intersection of geospatial + the built world. The event brings together AEC Next Expo & Conference, SPAR 3D Expo & Conference and the International Lidar Mapping Forum into a single powerhouse event. Co-located partner events include USIBD, ASPRS, MAPPS Annual Meeting. Industries covered include Architecture, Engineering & Construction; Asset & Facility Management; Disaster & Emergency Response; Earth Observation & Satellite Applications; Energy & Utilities, Infrastructure & Transportation; Land & Natural Resource Management, Mining & Aggregates, Surveying & Mapping, and Urban Planning/Smart Cities. The combined conference program and tradeshow floor

will feature commercial applications of 3D technologies, innovations and case studies in the built environment, advanced airborne and terrestrial remote sensing solutions, smart products for a full project team and much more! Professionals from a range of disciplines will network and gain insight into the increasing confluence of their worlds, providing even more opportunities to support the next generation of digital technology. It is presented by Geo Week News and organized by Diversified Communications, a global event producer that also organizes Commercial UAV Expo Americas, Commercial UAV Expo Europe (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Digital Construction Week and GEO Business Show (London, UK).

Leica Geosystems announces new Leica DMC-4 airborne imaging sensor delivering superior image fidelity

Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, has announced the introduction of the Leica DMC-4, a highly efficient airborne imaging sensor providing unsurpassed image quality for various applications and complex mapping environments.

The new system continues Leica Geosystems’ tradition of combining industry-leading optics with precision mechanics to deliver the highest mapping performance. The sensor

provides superior image fidelity by leveraging the CMOS-based Leica MFC150 camera module with Leica Geosystems’ unique mechanical forward-motion-compensation (FMC). The production-proven technology extensively used in Hexagon’s Content Program has already surveyed 1.2 million square kilometres and delivers crisp, full radiometry at faster aircraft speeds across various operating conditions.

With over 31,500 pixels across swath, the

DMC-4 maximises acquisition efficiency and improves performance by 20% to cover larger areas with fewer flight lines. Standard (S) and high (H) focal length configurations enable maximum airspace flexibility, providing a comprehensive solution for demanding applications and use cases. The DMC-4 was designed with application versatility in mind, supporting photogrammetry, remote sensing, terrain extraction and vector mapping.

GeoSLAM’s software package is set to become even more feature-rich with three new key additions in the latest update. The launch of Connect 2.2 offers users of GeoSLAM software new import & export options and the ability to merge multiple datasets.

The Connect 2.2 software package comes after positive feedback from GeoSLAM’s 2.1 update back in April 2022. Connect

2.1 included automatic data cleaning, RGB colourisation with the ZEB Vision, and an integrated measuring tool.

GeoSLAM’s aim is to frequently release software updates that further develop workflows and create a user-friendly environment for processing and reviewing point cloud data.

Customers with a GeoSLAM Care subscription

GeoSLAM introduce manual alignment and new export options in their latest software update

will be able to freely upgrade to Connect 2.2 today, via the GeoSLAM website. The sale of new hardware products from the ZEB family of scanners comes with a 1-year GeoSLAM Care package, with the chance to upgrade to 3 years, and Connect 2.2 as standard.

Image Leica Geosystems

Image GeoSLAM

Acecore and Phase One teams up to offer turnkey inspection solutions

Acecore Technologies the developer and manufacturer of professional grade UAVs for data collection and surveillance markets, announces a new product collaboration with Phase One, the world-leading developer and manufacturer of medium and large format aerial photography systems. This marks the next step in the collaboration to offer customers a full turnkey solution.

“It has been two years since we first announced a full integration with Phase One iXM-range cameras” said Jorrit Linders, Founder and CEO of Acecore. “We used to build our own camera control hardware and made it communicate to the pilot on the ground – with the introduction of the P3 we immediately knew our workload would decrease and the integration would become seamless to the end user. We’re excited to see our product mature and offer an improved user experience together with Phase One.”

“We’re very excited to intensify our established partnership with Acecore technologies. said Michael Messerschmidt, Unmanned Portfolio Director at Phase One. “Our new turnkey bundle with Acecore Technologies’s Zeo drone and the Phase One P3 payload, will deliver superior efficiency

and enable customers to capture the smallest details, from the furthest distance, in any weather conditions. Allowing us to provide the very best inspection and mapping solution for those looking at state-of-the-art surveillance technologies and solutions.”

Teledyne DALSA is pleased to announce its new Falcon™4-CLHS M6200 and M8200 cameras, based on Teledyne e2v’s Emerald 37M and 67M monochrome sensors.

The new Falcon4-CLHS models deliver higher resolution, added functionality and ease of use with a CLHS interface that has been engineered for industrial imaging applications requiring high-speed data transfer. These models can reach multiple thousands of frames per second in either partial scan mode, or when using the Multi-ROI mode, with up to 32 distinct region of interest. Additionally, the updated firmware enables appending detailed meta data to each ROI linked to different light sources, while new multi-ROI or moving ROI in sequencer or cycling modes deliver higher frame rates and added functionality.

“The Teledyne e2v Emerald 37M & 67M CMOS image sensors provide excellent

performance and image quality for any machine vision applications that requires true high-performance imaging,” said Manny Romero, Senior Product Manager at Teledyne DALSA. “With the addition of these latest Falcon4-CLHS models, we are now pleased to offer a variety of cameras ranging from the high-speed 11.2M camera with frame rates up to 609 fps in full resolution and these new high-resolution 37 MP and 67 MP cameras with frame rates of 120 fps and 90 fps respectively in full resolution," he continued.

Falcon4-CLHS cameras leverage standard cabling technology such as CX4 and fiber optic (AOC) cables to maximize length and speed. Falcon4-CLHS cameras are engineered to deliver high-speed, dependable results for applications such as industrial automation, flat panel display inspection, semiconductor inspection, PCB-AOI (Automated Optical Inspection), aerial imaging, and general machine vision applications that require true high-performance imaging.

Teledyne DALSA extends its Falcon area scan camera series with new 37M and 67M models

New Falcon4-CLHS models deliver higher resolution, added functionality and ease of use with a CLHS interface | Image Teledyne

Osmotic Engineering Group celebrates international recognition and expansion in Africa

Africa, especially in terms of water, energy and telecommunications. “We leverage our experience to address Africa’s problems, as such an award is recognition of the local and regional expertise available to us.”

Business Development Director Ronnie Khoza adds that FIDIC provides a global platform for consulting engineers to showcase challenges and solutions. “This recognition means that people sit up and take notice of us. Here is a company we can talk to and consult and partner with.”

Energy Director Andrew Johnson says the award immediately places OEG on a global level. “It is important to note we received this recognition over other international entrants. In terms of an African context, it really means we have the right people here.”

Established only in 2020, Osmotic Engineering Group (OEG) is already making an impact on the local consulting engineering industry. Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Director Dr. Tony Igboamalu was announced the winner of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) 2022 Future Leaders Award at a high-profile gala dinner on 12 September 2022 in Geneva.

The awards acknowledge and promote the outstanding achievements of future leaders in the consulting engineering industry globally. Adam Bialachowski, chair of the judging panel and also chair of the FIDIC Future Leaders Advisory Council, says the judges were unanimous in their decision.

“Dr. Tony Igboamalu has shown a high level of achievement and a keen appreciation of the social impact of his work, which perfectly reflects FIDIC’s key values and the positive difference that engineering seeks to make in society,” says Bialachowski.

Dr. Tony Igboamalu is a professional chemical engineer who obtained a Global Excellence Stature (GES) 4.0 Research Fellowship in

2022 at the University of Johannesburg looking at the application of 4IR in solving water challenges.

With 15 years’ experience in the water industry, he implements and manages multidisciplinary rural and urban development and poverty alleviation projects, including team, technical, financial (3P) and contracts management. His main focus is on socioeconomic development, maintenance management and privatisation, training, application and transfer of appropriate technology and skills.

“Emerging market problems are not just about engineering but have a socioeconomic basis as well. Solving these myriad problems requires a multidisciplinary approach combining finance, economics and politics. Engineers need to be open-minded. OEG represents the future of Africa in that we are driving the development of our future engineers,” comments Dr. Tony Igboamalu.

CEO Dr. Frank Igboamalu highlights that this international validation from FIDIC means OEG is well-placed to serve in an advisory role with regard to infrastructure issues in

Commenting on the progress made by OEG since its initial foray into South Africa and Nigeria, Ronnie Khoza reveals it has opened new offices in Ghana to focus on West Africa and in Uganda and Kenya to serve East Africa. The local office meanwhile covers the entire Southern African region, including Botswana and Namibia.

“One of our biggest achievements to date have been our initiatives in other countries. We approach this with due consideration and care as we always aim to partner with local companies. Our focus on technical advisory as the main service offering of the future at OEG has improved our portfolio of the type and size of advisory projects with government and the private sector, adding respected clients like Rand Water, MTN and others to our list of clients.”

Another key differentiator for OEG is its capability to partner with financiers and investors to drive infrastructure development on the continent. “While the client is the main anchor, we offer complete solutions. This means bringing in external services that fall outside our scope if need be, such as environmental and legal,” he concludes.

L-R: Andrew Johnson, Dr Tony Igboamalu, Aldecia Johnson, Dr Frank Igboamalu and Ronnie Khoza, Osmotic Engineering Group

Clintonel Innovation Centre wins Autodesk Learning Partner Excellence Award

Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC) Aba recently won the latest Autodesk Learning Partners (ALP) Excellence Award in the EMEAR region for its Nigerian Genius Engineering Competition 2022.

Awarded on a quarterly basis, the Excellence Awards recognize learning partners in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Russia (EMEAR) region for high performance, innovation and learner satisfaction.

For Autodesk – a leading global brand in engineering software and products, the Nigerian Genius Engineering Competition was amazing, and the judges were particularly impressed with Clintonel’s effort to engage with Nigeria’s future manufacturing workforce.

The Nigerian Genius Engineering Competition 2022 brought together Nigeria’s brightest minds in tertiary institutions to solve Nigeria’s toughest engineering and manufacturing challenges.

The participants learnt Advanced Engineering Skills from industry experts and were given access to Precision Manufacturing Equipment at CLINTONEL Advanced Engineering Centre Aba to build engineering and manufacturing solutions for Nigeria.

They went further to deploy the skills acquired to design and build different engineering products and solutions and were ultimately given the challenge to design and build solutions for Nigeria’s power (energy) problems using renewable energy sources.

University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) was ranked no.1 in engineering education for the Year 2022, after emerging as the winner in the competition. Learn more about the Nigerian Genius Engineering Competition here.

Speaking on the award, Tochukwu Chukwueke, Founder of Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC)

said, “This international Award of Excellence is a great honour for our organization. It is an appreciation to all who contributed to the success of the Nigerian Genius Engineering Competition 2022.

We are grateful to all our partners, especially Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation, The Royal Academy of Engineering, Advanced Engineering Centre and Autodesk.”

“As an organization, CLINTONEL will continue to push and break boundaries in engineering, innovation and capacity building till Nigeria becomes a technology producer.”, Tochukwu concluded.

"We are grateful to all our partners, especially Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation, The Royal Academy of Engineering, Advanced Engineering Centre and Autodesk.”

African Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Makes Sense for Europe, Now and Going Forward

By NJ Ayuk

In the months since the European Union declared it would reduce its reliance on Russian oil following that country’s invasion of Ukraine, there’s been a lot of talk about the new opportunities this moment is creating for Africa’s natural gas industry. I myself have been part of that conversation, and I stand by my past statements.

Africa’s capabilities are considerable, as the African Energy Chamber (AEC) makes clear in our State of African Energy Q2 2022 Report.

What’s more, certain developments within Europe are putting African natural gas producers in a stronger position than they have been in before with respect to being able to fight for— and win — a larger market share. Quite simply, there are gaps in the European gas market that weren’t there in the past — gaps that urgently need to be filled. The existence of those gaps means that there’s more room for African gas now than there used to be, particularly liquified natural gas, which is easy to store and transport. As our report notes, 50% of the 2022-25 cumulative gas flows from Africa’s top-10 producers are expected to be exported as LNG.

And, the interest in African LNG is not likely to be a momentary blip. Going forward, new technologies and shifting geopolitical conditions should make it easier for African producers to maintain market share in Europe.

In short, things are changing.

More Room in The Market Right Now

For decades, Russia was the EU’s single largest provider of gas, delivering at least a quarter to a third of its total consumption. According to International Energy Agency (IEA) data, the figure was even higher in 2021, when it supplied 155 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas, equivalent to 45% of total imports and 40% of total consumption.

The numbers for 2022 are bound to be different. The volume of Russian gas flowing into European markets started going down significantly not long after the start of the war in Ukraine. In April 2022, the share of Russian gas in total EU imports was reported to be 31%, down from 45% in April 2021. There’s no reason to believe the number has gone back up since then, since April was the last month that Russia was willing to accept payment from most EU customers in U.S. dollars or euros instead

Image Source: abode.com

of using special ruble-denominated accounts that are subject to sanctions. Indeed, ever since Russia’s new payment requirement has taken effect, European customers have had to learn to live with abrupt cut-offs or reductions in pipeline gas deliveries, with their Russian supplier Gazprom citing payment difficulties or failure to resolve technical problems as reasons for the disruptions.

Since the end of April, these kinds of cut-offs have happened to Poland and Bulgaria, they’ve happened to Finland, and they’ve happened to Germany and all the other countries served by the Nord Stream I network. More cut-offs are likely before the end of the year, and no one knows exactly how much they’re going to affect the total volume of Russian gas shipments to Europe. The upshot, though, is that in 2022 the volume of delivered gasis sure to be quite a bit lower than the 2021 figure of 155 bcm.

And that’s where African gas starts to come into the picture.

If the EU doesn’t have enough Russian gas this year, it will have to make up the deficit somewhere else in order to endure the next heating season. And in part, it’s been trying to do so by importing more LNG from established large-scale producers such as the U.S. and Qatar. The EU has also been buying more LNG from smaller-scale producers such as Peru. But it’s also reached out to gasproducing states in Africa. Italy, for instance, has negotiated the purchase of additional gas from Algeria in 2022 and is also looking to buy more gas from Egypt and Angola in the short term.

More Room in The Market for The Years to Come

And European buyers aren’t just treating African gas as a quick fix — as something to cover the gap for the time being. Italy expects Algeria to keep supplying extra volumes beyond 2022, and it’s also talking to Angola, Egypt, and the Republic of Congo about more extensive deals. Germany is looking to cement ties with Senegal in light of that country’s future gas production, which is on track to start next year. The EU has signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Israel and Egypt in the hope of boosting future gas imports from the Eastern Mediterranean region.

What’s more, the EU has sent Matthew

more than 20 years and has done relatively little to make that diversification a reality. Yes, Brussels has supported initiatives such as the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), which began delivering gas from Azerbaijan to Italy in 2020. However, in the time it took to bring that project to fruition, Gazprom managed to plan one larger pipeline across the Black Sea (South Stream), scrap that plan, draw up a plan for another larger pipeline (TurkStream), and then execute that plan, all while working on an even bigger subsea pipeline to Germany, Nord Stream 2.

Baldwin, the European Commission’s deputy director-general for energy, to Nigeria to discuss the possibility of increased gas supplies. Baldwin, who leads the EU’s Energy Platform Task Force (EPTF) — set up in May 2022 to help cut Europe’s dependence on Russian oil and gas — waxed enthusiastic about Nigeria’s contribution to the EU’s gas supply in an exclusive interview with Premium Times. He noted that the West African country already accounted for 14% of the EU’s LNG imports, suggested that the figure might rise to 30% or more in the long term, and described Nigeria as a supplier that European gas buyers could count on.

“We need more gas from Nigeria as a result of the terrible war of aggression Russia has mounted on Ukraine,” Baldwin declared. “We can no longer count on gas coming from the Russian Federation, and we want to build a new partnership with countries like Nigeria with whom we have an already wellestablished partnership to obtain more gas and LNG from you on good commercial terms.”

The Window of Opportunity Will Remain Open

It is somewhat tempting to meet these statements with skepticism, given that the EU has talked about gas supply diversification for

I believe, however, that such skepticism would be misplaced at this time. The EU is no longer working in a context where the benefits of supply diversification are theoretical and abstract; it’s now a concrete and immediate matter. For policy reasons, the EU wants to deny Russia access to revenue from gas sales and strip its status as a normal commercial partner. For practical reasons, European gas buyers need to find a way to make up for the supplies missing from Russia. And for both policy and practical reasons, Brussels wants to deny Moscow the opportunity to continue using gas supplies as a blunt instrument with which to threaten Europe in the future.

The change isn’t going to be immediate. It will take time to reduce Russia’s profile in the EU’s energy mix. But the process of supply reduction is underway, and it has already opened up new opportunities for African gas producers to acquire market share in Europe. I expect those opportunities to last beyond the near term, as the EU attempts to establish a new combination of gas suppliers to replace Russia over the next few years.

I also hope Africa’s emerging gas producers take advantage of new LNG technologies such as the modular Fast LNG solutions offered by New Fortress Energy (NFE), a U.S.-based company, to meet European demand for gas. With these technologies, they won’t have to wait as long or spend as much money to begin producing the LNG that European consumers are clamoring to buy. They can start in two years or less, rather than waiting five years or more, as is common with more conventional onshore projects.

Between these new technologies and the EU’s new policy stance, the African gas sector is likely to look very different within just a few years. I encourage you to read the State of African Energy Q2 2022 Report and find out more for yourself.

NJ Ayuk, is the Executive Chairman of African Energy Chamber

COP27 provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lay foundations for Africa’s clean energy future – finds

Wärtsilä report

The climate change conference COP27 offers a unique opportunity to increase energy access and lay the foundations for decarbonisation across Africa, but wealthy nations must deliver on their climate finance pledges to unlock the continent’s potential, according to a new report.

‘Pathways for Africa’s Energy Future,’ a report from the technology group Wärtsilä, provides power system modelling of three African countries, Nigeria, South Africa and Mozambique. It finds that they can leapfrog some developed nations by not embedding inflexible fossil fuel-based systems. To enable such a massive transformation a combination of climate finance, effective planning and system reforms will be essential.

The report demonstrates that replacing coal with renewable energy combined with flexibility from engines and energy storage is the most effective way to reduce energy costs, increase energy access and improve reliability. The modelling found that renewable energy and flexibility can generate enough energy to provide power for close to 100 million people in South Africa, Mozambique and Nigeria who currently do not have energy access, if it were matched with the required grid infrastructure. These systems will require a total investment of around USD 119 billion over the next decade, which will not be possible unless wealthy nations deliver on the promise made in 2009 to deliver USD 100 billion annually in climate finance from 2020.

Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO, Wärtsilä Corporation said: “Despite contributing less than 3% of the world’s energy-related carbon emissions, African countries are among the hardest hit by climate change. COP27, hosted in Egypt, is the perfect opportunity to deliver on global climate finance pledges so that, as a global community, we can seize this moment to act and unlock Africa’s renewable potential. That investment must be combined with effective planning and system reforms to increase energy access and create the renewable energy systems of the future.”

Wärtsilä modelled power system decarbonisation pathways for three countries in Africa, each with different starting points and facing differing challenges. Key findings:

• Nigeria can cut electricity costs by 74% on its path to net zero by 2060. Wärtsilä’s modelling shows that Nigeria can build a 100% renewable net zero power system by 2060, comprising around 1,200 GW of clean capacity, in line with its ’30-30-30’ and

net zero targets. The impact is significant, with the cost of electricity generation predicted to drop by 74% by 2060 compared to 2022 levels and emissions dropping to zero.

• South Africa can solve its load-shedding dilemma and save USD 26 billion by 2032. By adding 40 GW of wind and solar PV, South Africa can build a power system that would meet current and future energy demand. This can deliver a 17% reduction in power system emissions and reduce energy system costs by USD 10 billion per year by 2032.

• Mozambique can reduce emissions and save USD 84 million. By adding 200 MW of low-cost renewable energy annually, Mozambique can build 3 GW of clean capacity by 2032, supported by 205 MW of new energy storage capacity and 1 GW of grid balancing engine capacity. This would cut 5.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions between 2022-2032 and save USD 84 million on the cost of electricity production.

Wärtsilä produced this modelling using independent market simulation software PLEXOS to support African countries that wish to shape multi-year plans to build their optimal power systems for the future. Across the continent, countries can help to stimulate investment by setting out clear strategies to build well-functioning flexible renewable grids, showcasing the new opportunities those conditions create, such as green hydrogen production. Regulatory reform is also needed to place a value on flexibility and encourage the market. Doing so will help to lay the foundations for more flexible and reliable grids able to support high levels of renewable energy, while increasing energy access

Image: Africa can leapfrog to a renewable and reliable energy future and increase energy access © Wärtsilä Corporation

Terrestrial Surveying

In addition to using GPS, terrestrial laser scanning is a useful tool in measuring land mass. This method records a dense array of distance returns over a large area. The resulting data can be used to create a detailed digital 3-D landscape model. The data generated can also be merged with digital photographs to create photorealistic 3-D landscape models

Terrestrial surveying involves the collection of accurate measurements of heights and distances. It is often used to plan and construct construction projects and can supplement existing data from satellite remote sensing and aerial surveys. These surveys are used to record the relative location of features such as buildings and roads. Several types of surveying equipment are used.

In geomorphology, the use of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) is driven by the need for accurate and rapid topographic data. The data obtained from repeat surveys allows researchers to unravel complex space-time variations in landforms and landscapes. It also helps establish strong links between processes and forms. In geomorphology, repeat surveys have been used to understand and model processes such as hillslope-channel coupling, a phenomenon that involves hydrological and topographical changes in alpine drainages.

The use of GPS has reduced the human resources required for surveying in the field. The use of total stations and laser scanners has also simplified the execution process. The most recent technologies include 3D laser scanners and terrestrial lasergrammetry. These technologies are fast, reliable, and accurate. In addition, they can be integrated into a variety of applications.

Besides using GPS and satellite imaging, surveyors also use ancillary equipment to complete their work. Surveyors use instruments such as leveling instruments to level the surface of the land. They also use beacons to locate landmarks and landforms. They also wear protective equipment to avoid exposure to dangerous environments. Before Electronic Distance Measuring (EDM), the primary method of determining a position on earth's surface was triangulation. With this method, the surveyors could measure a distance between objects by using their existing position on a map or plan. They could then use this information to calculate the heights and distances of other objects.

In addition to using GPS, terrestrial laser scanning is a useful tool in measuring land mass. This method records a dense array of distance returns over a large area. The resulting data can be used to create a detailed digital 3-D landscape model. The data generated can also be merged with digital photographs to create photorealistic 3-D landscape models.

With its numerous applications, drones are fast becoming a valuable addition to the land surveyor's toolkit. Drone mapping has a number of advantages, including reduced costs, time, and risk. The use of drones is increasingly common in oil and gas exploration, and the energy industry has adopted this technology in many projects.

Early surveys were performed using primitive instruments, but modern surveying techniques were first developed during the 18th century. The first precision theodolite, invented by Jesse Ramsden, was introduced to the public in 1787. It was originally used for testing new military aircraft instruments, but it was later modified to be a commercial aerial photogrammetry system. Then, Vladimir Zworykin invented the kinescope. This instrument was widely used for land surveying.

Another important aspect of Terrestrial Surveying is the definition of station positions. This is critical for the success of the project, and must be based on material characteristics and terrain constraints. The position of each station must be determined accurately, and the parameters must be grouped to ensure the best coverage of the surface. Since the scanners lift everything they "see", a clean cloud of points must be created, which helps eliminate the noise.

Ivanhoe awarded new exploration rights in South Africa

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) has been granted three new highly prospective exploration rights covering total surface area of 80 square kilometres adjacent to the company’s Platreef project in Limpopo province, South Africa.

Platreef is a palladium, rhodium, nickel, platinum, copper and gold development project that is 64% owned by Ivanhoe. A 26% interest is held by Ivanhoe’s broadbased, black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) partners, which include 20 local host communities with approximately 150,000 people, project employees and local entrepreneurs. A Japanese consortium owns the remaining 10% interest.

The project hosts a thick, underground deposit known as Flatreef, containing approximately 58.8 million oz. of precious metals (palladium, rhodium, platinum and gold), as well as 6.2 billion lb. of copper and nickel in indicated resources, plus 94.3 million oz. of precious metals and 11.9 billion lb. of copper and nickel in inferred resources.

It is located on the northern limb of South Africa’s Bushveld Complex, where platinum group metals mineralization is primarily hosted within the Platreef, a mineralized sequence that is traced more than 30 km along strike.

Ivanhoe’s project, within the Platreef’s southern sector, comprises two contiguous properties: Turfspruit and Macalacaskop. Turfspruit, the northernmost property, is contiguous to Anglo Platinum’s Mogalakwena group of properties. The Flatreef deposit lies entirely on the Turfspruit and Macalacaskop properties.

The initial scope of the development plan is to fast-track Platreef into production, starting with an initial 700,000 t/y underground mine using the existing Shaft 1 and a new on-site concentrator. First concentrate production from Phase 1 is planned for Q3 2024, with the Phase 2 expansion expected following the commissioning of Shaft 2 in 2027.

Phase 1 average annual production is expected to be 113,000 oz. of precious metals, plus 5 million lb. of nickel and 3 million lb. of copper. The average annual production of the Phase 2 expansion is expected to increase to 591,000 oz., plus 26 million lb. of nickel and 16 million lb. of copper.

Platreef is projected to become Africa’s lowest-cost producer of platinum group metals, nickel, copper and gold.

New exploration territory

The new exploration rights form a continuous block situated on the southwest border of Ivanhoe’s existing Platreef mining rights at Turfspruit and Macalacaskop, which together cover 78 square kilometres in area.

The exploration rights overlap a significant geophysical gravity anomaly known as the “Mokopane Feeder”, the centre of which is located approximately 10 km from Platreef’s Shaft 1.

“The Bushveld Complex sits among the most unique and valuable mineral endowments on our planet. These exploration rights are postulated to be geologically significant by our leading geoscientists. The new

exploration rights are located at the intersection of a highly significant gravity geophysical anomaly and major regional geological structures,” said Robert Friedland, Ivanhoe’s executive co-chairman.

“Therefore, the ‘Mokopane Feeder’ may be related to the actual source of the giant mineralizing system feeding the entire northern limb of the Bushveld Complex,” he added.

The Bushveld Complex is currently the largest known, layered igneous complex in the world and is host to the largest known reserves of platinum group metals, chromium and vanadium, as well as gold and base metals including nickel and copper.

According to the geological team at Ivanhoe, the “Mokopane Feeder” anomaly is the most significant gravity feature in the entire Bushveld Complex. Academic studies based on historical data hypothesized that the anomaly represents a primary feeder zone to the Rustenburg layered suite of the northern limb.

To better understand the conceptual “Mokopane Feeder” target, Ivanhoe said it will begin a detailed high-resolution, airbornemagnetic and gradiometer-gravity survey over the project area. The surveys are expected to be completed in early 2023.

Aerial view of the Platreef project showcasing latest construction activities, with Shaft 1 on the right and Shaft 2 hitch-to-collar construction in the center. Credit: Ivanhoe Mines

South Africa's mining sector contracts in August as gold production down 17.4%

By Vladimir Basov

According to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), the domestic mining production decreased by 5.9% yearon-year in August 2022.

StatsSA said that largest negative contributors were platinum group metals (a decline of 12.9%, contributing -3.1 percentage points); gold (-17.4%, contributing -3.0 percentage

points); and iron ore (-15.2%, contributing -2.0 percentage points). Manganese ore was a significant positive contributor (an increase of 25.4%, contributing 1.5 percentage points).

The agency added that seasonally adjusted mining production in South Africa was flat in August 2022 compared with July 2022. This followed month-on-month changes of 3.1% in

July 2022 and -1.0% in June 2022.

According to the report, the country’s seasonally adjusted mining production increased by 0.6% in the three months ended August 2022 compared with the previous three months, mainly due to the higher production of manganese ore, which was partially offset by lower production of platinum group metals.

Miners work deep underground at Sibanye Gold's Masimthembe shaft in Westonaria, South Africa, April 3, 2017. Image Credit: Reuters

Wildfires in Africa Causes and effects of wildfires

Using satellite images, NASA has found that there are more wildfires in Africa than in the Amazon. According to NASA, 70 percent of the total area burned by fire around the world is Africa and 90 percent of these fires are human-caused. While fires are a natural part of the ecosystem, they

can also pose a serious threat to human life. Fires in Africa are often sparked by lightning strikes, and most of them occur during the wet season. According to ICPAC June 2020 report Zooming into the Eastern Africa region, wildfires in the region are a regular occurrence especially after the rainy season, when the environment is conducive for fire. They are a natural cycle in many ecosystems, especially the savanna, but also in the forest ecosystems. The region experiences two fire seasons in a year’s circle that is, April to August in the areas south of the Equator and September to March in the areas north of the Equator.

“It all depends on context, time of the year, frequency, etc. Some of the negative impacts can range from air pollution, excessive erosion, loss of species; damage to infrastructure, negative impacts on the economy and livelihoods, loss of life is also possible,” asserts Dean Ferreira, Managing Director at NCC Environmental Services (Pty) LTD. “In some ecosystems, if wildfires occur at the incorrect frequency or season, if the fire intensity is too high (or too low), the ecosystem can be damaged due to a loss of species and even affecting ecosystem services such as water retention or carbon sequestration,” he adds.

Conferring to Global Forest Watch (GFW), South Africa’s peak fire season typically begins in late June and lasts around 20 weeks.

There were 6,883 VIIRS fire alerts reported between 11th of October 2021 and 3rd of October 2022 considering high confidence alerts only. This is high compared to previous years going back to 2012, says GFW. The online monitoring platform further discloses that, From 2001 to 2021, South Africa lost 116kha of tree cover from fires and 1.41Mha from all other drivers of loss. The year with the most tree cover loss due to fires during this period was 2017 with 20.5kha lost to fires — 22% of all tree cover loss for that year.

In Western Africa, UNISDR Regional Subsahara Wildland Fire Network indicates that, fire is a regular feature in the landscape of most West African countries especially in areas dominated by savanna and woodland vegetation. More recently wildfires have become annual events in the forest and forest transition zones of some countries (e.g. Ghana). The causes of wildfire occurrence are quite similar in most member countries in the West African region and are mostly humancaused. In spite of these negative impacts, most countries lack a holistic and efficient system for preventing and controlling wildfires. Consequently, the problem of rampant wildfires continues to persist.

Since early August, 106 fires have broken out in Algeria, destroying 800 hectares of forest and 1,800 hectares of woodlands, this is according to Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud, who said some had been caused by arson.

Image courtesy

Image: SWT

By Dorcas Kang’ereha

The recent wildfires in eastern Algeria have killed at least 43 people and 200 people were injured. Officials have not confirmed the numbers but local media has said that the death toll may be higher. This is due to scorching air temperatures and dry conditions as well the lack of fire-fighting aircraft by the authorities.

In Central African Republic the peak fire season typically begins in late November and lasts around 14 weeks. There were 11,706 VIIRS fire alerts reported between 11th of October 2021 and 3rd of October 2022, this is according to Global Forest Watch.

While the numbers of fires are significantly higher than those in the Amazon, forest fires in Africa are an ongoing concern due to the rainforests. People ignite fires to open up new areas for farming. Cattle farmers light fires in the savannahs to stimulate nutritious grass for animals and to control parasitic ticks. These fires often get out of hand and become difficult to put out. As a result, up to half of the Serengeti grasslands burn every year. This region is renowned for the migration of wildebeest and other safari animals. In order to prevent future fires, education campaigns are mandatory.

“Each year more and more areas of Kenya’s precious water towers are being lost to wild fires. If this is to continue, where will Kenyans get their water from in the future?” Questions Toby Dunn, Director at Farmland Aviation Ltd. Fires are a common problem throughout Africa, and their extent is becoming much greater in some parts of the continent. Some of the fires are caused by farmers performing prescribed burns. These burns are often conducted during the dry season. However, it is important to note that the number of fires does not necessarily mean that there is ecological damage.

“It is also very important to understand that

wildfires are part of the African landscape and not all wildfires are bad. Certain ecosystems are not only fire prone, but also fire driven. The Fynbos Biome, the most diverse biome on the planet, requires fire to maintain this unique diversity, as long as they occur during the right season and at the appropriate frequency. African landscapes are burnt to ensure grazing, reduction in fuel, for localized agriculture and this indigenous practice has occurred for 100’s, if not 1000’s of years. The landscape has adapted to this. Africa is the fire continent and wildfires will be part of it for 100’s of years to come,” states Dean.

“Broadly speaking, veld fires are a very necessary in rejuvenating the veld, getting rid of bush, parasites, and of course, the ash provides much needed fertilizer to the new growth,” says Mark Jackson, Owner at Leading Edge Aviation. “It is when the veld is not allowed to burn, normally around a 15 year cycle, that disastrous fires take place. Our task is to help extinguish the fires that threaten the urban interface. We protect people’s homes, farms and of course their lives in extreme cases. During an initial attack concept last Cape fire season, we saved property worth an estimated R94m and no one fell into harm’s way,” he articulates.

Researchers have found that wildfires are caused by several factors, including climate change. Climate variability is one cause, although widespread management practices has reduced flammable materials in forests. Nevertheless, wildfires are responsible for 3 to 8 percent of terrestrial net primary productivity each year. These fires release between 1.7 and 4.1 gigatonnes of carbon into the atmosphere.

Even so, the fire frequency in tropical Africa is expected to decrease, it will remain high in certain regions. The Sahel and southern Africa are particularly vulnerable to fire. This is because grasslands burn more easily

and prevent the forest from regrowing. Additionally, recent El Nino events may have increased the frequency of fires in these areas. However, there are a number of ways to mitigate the risk of wildfires in Africa.

Ways to mitigate the blazes

In his opinion, Toby recommends to rapidly attack wildfires while they are still small to contain their spread. “Aircraft can respond to a fire in the wilderness a lot quicker than teams on the ground. Farmland Aviation Ltd uses purpose built Air tractors to contain the wild fires giving the ground crews time to get on sight and mop up the remaining embers. It’s a proven strategy for preventing greater wildfire damage while substantially reducing firefighting costs,” he affirms.

“The cheapest fire is the one that is extinguished immediately. Every fire starts small, and only time allows it to grow. The bigger the fire, the more dangerous and costly it becomes. Our company hopes to continue with our QRF, bringing a new dimension to aerial fire-fighting in the Cape,” acclaims Mark.

According to Dean, integrated wildfire management is one of the tools to mitigate the risk of devastating wildfires. Dean further elaborates on wildfire management and the components of mitigating the risk. “There are 5 components of integrated wildfire management and to mitigate the risk, land managers, policy makers, politicians and those that control the purse strings need to recognize this and devise strategies for their own context.”

The 5 R’s are:

1. Reduction – community education, awareness and advocacy, fire (fuel) break, alien clearing, risk reduction burns, prescribed burns

2. Readiness – preparedness to respond in the event of a wildfire –

A counter fire in the Fynbos Biome | image NCC Environmental Services (Pty) LTD

ongoing training and fitness, equipment preparedness, practicing and checking

3. Response – mobilizing, in a safe manner, to suppress the fire within the objectives of the landscape e.g. initial and direct attack or allow for indirect in areas that ecologically require to be burnt and the conditions permit that.

4. Restoration – post the event, replacing/acquiring lost or damaged equipment, fixing of roads, fence, potential erosion sites, etc

5. Research – undertaking applicable research into IWFM, equipment, fire regimes, crew safety, nutrition, etc.

“Education and community wildfire resilience is critical (the first R). Too much time and resources are dedicated to readiness and response. Not enough effort is put into the final two R’s – Restoration and Research,” says Dean.

“The context of the landscape in question needs to be understood and the appropriate application of the 5 R’s then needs to be strategized and implemented. One common theme from around the world is that we (firefighters) have spent so much time stopping fires, which the consequence is now a massive amount of fuel build up, that when these unburnt areas burn, the outcomes can be devastating. Climate changes is exacerbating this,” he adds.

Nonetheless, as global temperatures continue to rise, wildfires will become more frequent and more destructive. In fact, the UN has issued a report warning that humans are contributing to the problem. While most wildfires are caused by human activities, they are also a major contributor to climate change. The nutrient-rich aerosol from Africa contributes almost half of the phosphorus found in the Amazon Basin. As a result, the African continent plays an important role in the Amazonian ecosystem.

“Finally – we need to ensure that our responders are properly trained, kitted out and competent to perform their tasks when they are called on. Responding to wildfires is dangerous!” recommends Dean.

Leading Edge Aviation’s Black Hawk refuelling at a fire

Leading Edge Aviation Huey’s

Inclination Monitoring Has Never Been So Easy

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V-LOC calculates your assets real-time coordinates thanks to open-source tags which are affixed to them. Our technology is embedded inside a calibrated camera which exists in both air and subsea versions for highly accurate

GEOxyz Presents New Hybrid Survey Vessel

SBG Systems new Inertial Navigation System is the perfect tool for UAV surveying

TerraSond to Support Vineyard Wind 1 Project

SBG Systems announces the new Quanta Micro product embedding, in an extremely compact form factor, a dual-frequency/quad constellations GNSS receiver for centimetric position with a very high performance IMU.

High-end Inertial Navigation Technology in the Smallest Form Factor

The Geo Ocean VI offshore survey vessel.

The acquisition of the offshore survey vessel Geo Ocean VI marks the next step in the expansion of the offshore survey capacities of GEOxyz, the Belgium-based geodata specialist.

The company is proud to present its new RTK capable, miniature inertial sensor called Quanta Micro. With its incredibly reduced size and weight (50 x 37 x 23 mm and 38g) and its high-end performance (centimetric positioning, roll/pitch with less than 0.02° error and heading with less than 0.06° error) Quanta Micro is the perfect tool for all applications that require extreme SWaP-C and has already been selected for the development of LiDAR payloads for UAV and mobile mapping systems.

With a focus on delivering next-generation geodata acquisition solutions, the GEOxyz Group is strategically investing in its offshore survey fleet. With the acquisition of the hybrid propulsion vessel Geo Ocean VI, GEOxyz is further specializing in providing greener, more sustainable and smarter solutions for hydrographic, geophysical and geotechnical surveys.

To achieve such performance in even the hardest conditions, Quanta Micro benefits from SBG Systems unique experience in designing and manufacturing inertial sensors, including an individual calibration of each of the manufactured sensor across the full range of working temperature (-40°C to +85°C).

Nantucket, and 35 miles from mainland Massachusetts. It will be the first major commercial-scale offshore wind farm in U.S. waters. The new TerraSond facility is likely to be located in the Bristol County area of Massachusetts and will create local employment opportunities.

Despite its compact form factor, Quanta micro embeds all the features usually present in the other state-of-the art SBG inertial sensors: a built-in datalogger, Ethernet connectivity, a PTP server, multiple serial ports, a CAN port, etc. It is easy to configure with a user-friendly built-in web configuration interface; but can also be configured using SBG systems API or ROS drivers.

TerraSond is already committed to the U.S. East Coast offshore wind industry through its site investigation surveys and operating and maintenance inspections. The Vineyard Wind 1 balance of plant work, which will add to the company’s solid experience and track record, covers turbine foundation remotely operated vehicle inspections and export and array cable seabed surveys, alongside a range of other subsea integrity and operational services from across the Acteon group.

performances, the data acquired from the Quanta Micro can easily be post-processed using Qinertia: SBG own PPK tool (PostProcessing Kinematic). This allows to process the data with tight coupling of the GNSS and Inertial data, and a merge of forward and backward solutions allowing to maintain centimetric precision even during multiple seconds of GNSS outages; and improves heading errors to less than 0.035° and roll/ pitch to less than 0.015°.

Equipped with a fully integrated launch and recovery system, the vessel is also ready to act as mother vessel for hydrographic survey ASVs. This creates a flexible all-round platform that is cost and operationally efficient and meets today’s and tomorrow’s offshore survey requirements. The Geo Ocean VI is a green and versatile multidisciplinary offshore survey vessel, fitted for geophysical as well as geotechnical survey work. She will be permanently equipped with specifically selected survey equipment and ready to serve the offshore industry.

SBG SystemsCompact and Powerful but easy to use and integrate

While the Quanta Micro supports dual GNSS Antenna mode to improve heading accuracy in low dynamic applications, it has been designed maintain exceptional heading performances even in single antenna. This makes it the right tool for UAV payloads that cannot embed two GNSS antennas.

Post processing with Qinertia

To further enhance its extreme real-time

TerraSond’s new facility and the wider services offered by Acteon are set to deliver a world-class offshore wind farm for Massachusetts.

Qinertia flavors range from the desktop version with a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI), but can also be easily integrated into any processing pipelines with the various options available such as the Command Line Interface (CLI) to integrate within workflows running on a desktop computer or the private or public cloud solutions for workflows running on a server.

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Tesmec launches a high precision 3D Digital Twin integrated system

Tesmec, leading group in the market for infrastructure technologies (overhead, underground and railways) for the transport of electricity, data and materials (oil and derivates, gas and water), as well as surface mining and quarrying technologies, on the occasion of Bauma 2022 launches its brand new Mobile Mapping System (MMS), an integrated radar mapping system of the underground and high-precision digital 3D survey of the environment above.

The Mobile Mapping System is equipped with a detection system installed on the top and an Explorer 2.0 Georadar. The survey system is designed to perform a georeferenced 3D reconstruction through the union of two types of data: the 3D point cloud obtained through the use of LIDAR technology; the 3D point cloud obtained through stereoscopy algorithms applied to the images acquired by high resolution matrix cameras.

The resulting point cloud with the image superimposed is then subjected to digital re-elaboration processing carried out by sophisticated artificial intelligence networks in order to get a georeferenced and accurate mapping. The MMS detection system has an accuracy of about 2 cm and returns a cloud of points of the surrounding environment that can be consulted on the cloud platform, useful for proper planning of the construction site.

Explorer 2.0, è il modello Tesmec di georadar ad altissima precisione dotato di 32 antenne che scansionano il suolo fino a una profondità di 96 cm, e che è in grado di operare, trainato dal veicolo, ad una velocità massima di 17 km/h. L'output generato da Explorer 2.0, consiste nella mappatura delle infrastrutture interrate esistenti, utile per le attività di indagini preliminari allo scavo. L'uso del geroradar permette infatti di accorciare/ridurre i tempi di esecuzione dei lavori, di garantire la sicurezza dei cantieri e di consentire una maggiore precisione nei lavori di scavo evitando le possibilità di danneggiamento delle utenze sotterranee esistenti.

Explorer 2.0 is the Tesmec very high precision georadar equipped with 32 antennas that scan the ground up to a depth of 96 cm, and which is able to operate, towed by the vehicle, at a maximum speed of 17 km / h. The output generated by Explorer 2.0 consists of the mapping of existing underground infrastructures, useful for preliminary excavation investigations. In fact, the use of the geroradar allows to reduce the execution times of the works, to guarantee the safety of

construction sites and to allow greater precision in excavation work, avoiding the possibility of damage to existing underground utilities.

The integration of the two surveys makes it possible to get a 3D digital mapping on a cloud platform, on which the As-Built map generated by "SmartTracker" Tesmec can be superimposed. An integrated dashboard with a GIS engine is available through a web platform for displaying the information from the surveys and processing, which allows the georeferenced and simultaneous display of data. The specially configured interfaces allow navigation within different types of data, such as visible images and high-resolution videos, thermal images, laser point clouds and three-dimensional BIM models.

With the presentation to the market of this high-tech solution, Tesmec's participation in Bauma 2022 is confirmed under the banner of Digital Transformation. "The Mobile Mapping System is a solution that can be combined with excavation technology and is complementary to it. The Digital Transformation has naturally pushed us towards the creation of a new portfolio of technologies and business models." affirms Marco Quarta, New Technology Manager. "This is a further step towards the supply of integrated solutions for the underground laying of high-techcables. The product is part of the Group's growth strategy, under the banner of digitalization, sustainability and energy transition, with the aim to bring the advanced image processing and artificial intelligence skills acquired by the Group in different verticals to markets that are still unexplored."

Tesmec remote control devices support|image Tesmec

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Drone technology elevates innovation in water risk applications

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Drone technology can provide high-quality products or services, and offer costeffective and tailor-made high-end solutions especially as a low-cost non-contact alternative to small aircrafts, for acquiring high-precision data over areas that are typically too small for satellites to detect any detail. Moreover, they help to keep manned aircrafts costeffective

By Guy Schumann

Whilechallenges remain in incorporating the wide use of drone technology, RSS-Hydro is leading several innovative projects for the use of drones in water-based risk applications.

Many remote sensing technologies are present in both industry and academia – ranging from ground-based sensors to airborne and space-based platforms – measuring a very large amount of important environmental parameters for sustaining ecosystem services, environmental management, transportation, and weather, just to name some of the major fields of application.

Market opportunities of drones

One of the leading sectors where remote sensing, particularly ground-based and airborne, has seen major advances in the last few decades is agriculture. More recently, it has become one of the leading application sectors in the drone market. Drone technology was introduced into the sector more than two decades ago.1 Nowadays, the second and sixth biggest addressable markets for drone-based solutions are, respectively, agriculture (for crop monitoring), with

an estimated potential value of $32.4bn, and the insurance industry (for risk monitoring and assessment), with an addressable market value of $6.8bn.2

Another application sector for drone-based solutions is emergency management, especially in the case of natural disasters such as floods. On the one hand, drones can be useful before a flood occurs by collecting lots of data on important infrastructure, and for supporting flood risk assessment efforts. On the other hand, drones can be useful after a flood occurs, for flood extent and damage assessment.3

Industry challenges

It is clear that drones are extremely useful and have great market growth potential; however, the use of drone technology comes with several challenges. These challenges are mainly faced in Europe, where the new regulations limit the use of drones, especially for drones that remain uncertified. The objective is to create a controlled environment and to increase safety while drones start to be used in a wide range of sectors due to a ‘thriving market’.4 As a consequence, flying drones, be it as an individual for private

use or in a commercial setting, requires a range of precautionary measures in order to comply with regulations. Unfortunately, this can turn out to be much more complex than expected in some cases, particularly when looking at risk assessments or the specific category.

Therefore, national drone federations exist in many European countries and elsewhere, which aim to support companies during these procedures. The newest addition to this international federation network, is the Luxembourg Drone Federation (LDF), of which RSSHydro is a founding member. A major commitment of LDF is to help members develop a simplified flight authorisation procedure for operators. Therefore, LDF also acts as an intermediary between companies and the Luxembourg Department of Civil Aviation (DAC), by authorising flights in order to facilitate exchange and compliance. LDF also collaborates with the administrations of bordering countries.

R&D opportunities

Due to the high flexibility and the easy acquisition of drone technology, they have become an asset in a wide range of innovative R&D projects. RSS-Hydro is

© iStock/aerogondo

leading several innovative R&D projects, combining computer modelling with the latest advances in remote sensing technologies, including satellite and drone images.

In one of its projects, RSS-Hydro is looking at drone technology to survey the condition of plants and crops impacted by droughts. Since the impact of agricultural droughts depends on several local factors, such as soil, crop, and growing stages of crops, information with very high spatial resolution is needed to assess their localised impact. For this, an objective of the project is to develop and set up a drone-based drought monitoring service which can be activated when drought events are forecasted to take place in a certain area.

More generally speaking, it is well known that drones can be used to monitor crop conditions from the very beginning of the growing season, all the way through to planning and harvest. Advanced analytics allow for monitoring soil moisture and deriving fertilising requirements. To meet growing food demand and improve current water usage, new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are now being considered in this field of application by many. It has been estimated5 that 80% of all drones will be used in Precision Agriculture Technologies (PAT) in the future, also to detect damages from droughts, floods, hailstorms, or wild animals, and for smarter irrigation management and proper crop protection.

The fact that drones can overcome several limitations encountered with satellites in terms of spatial resolution and tasking flexibility makes them a considerable asset in many applications. Therefore, drones can be used to support vulnerable communities that are severely affected by climate change, for example in Africa and Asia. Finally, the insurance sector can also benefit from such technologies for index-based solutions, and develop their insurance products accordingly.

RSS-Hydro is also employing drones to monitor flooding and related processes. That information is used to evaluate their flood risk models, and to validate satellite-derived products in some of their R&D projects supported by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Humanitarian and aid development opportunities

Drones are widely used in emergency management situations, particularly in a humanitarian context. Mapping disaster extents and damage after the event are crucial for a fast humanitarian response. The rapid deployment of drones makes them a major asset, especially in remote areas that cannot be accessed easily.

In the context of flood disaster response, The United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP), and partners, have been collaborating with the National Institute for Disaster Management of Mozambique (INGC) to improve flood alerting and preparedness, using drone technology. By taking thousands of aerial

photos from a drone and running them through a big computer, a high-precision flood hazard model has been created to help predict and identify people at risk more rapidly. This was tested for a flood-prone area of interest around Mocuba (Mozambique, Africa). The bigger goal is to scale up this effort to other flood-prone areas where WFP operates, which will help communities be better prepared and become more resilient.

Aid development projects are also looking to introduce drone technology as a complementary tool to acquire important local data. Together with regional and local public and private partners, in Niger and Europe, RSS-Hydro’s development aid project SEMOR addresses the current data challenge in the Niger River Basin, by proposing a low-cost and sustainable space-based ICT solution to develop a flood prediction and alerting model for the region. The system combines flood modelling with industry-proven, affordable, small water-level sensors, open-access satellite Earth observation data, and drone imagery. The project also focuses on capacity building and training workshops around topics of Earth observation, drones, and model use for water risks (floods and droughts) under the impacts of climate change.

The future of drone technology

The benefits of drones are numerous. Drone technology can provide highquality products or services, and offer cost-effective and tailor-made highend solutions. Drones are especially attractive as a low-cost non-contact alternative to small aircrafts, for acquiring high-precision data over areas that are typically too small for satellites to detect any detail. Moreover, they help to keep manned aircrafts cost-effective.

Despite operating regulations for drones becoming more stringent, the commercial and R&D opportunities for drones are extremely promising and fast growing. The market projections for the usage of drone technology are looking very promising, with technological innovations in drone manufacturing and sensor development opening up many new opportunities for growth.

Patrick McKay conducting an advanced drone training in Beira, Mozambique, 2019. Photo: WFP/INGC/Antonio Jose Beleza

Hyprops to use Saab Seaeye robot for inspections offshore Nigeria

Hyprops Nigeria Ltd. has chosen the Saab Seaeye Falcon robotic vehicle to increase its long-term footprint in Nigeria.

wreck search in an unMapped area

Hyprops provides a wide range of services to the Nigerian offshore oil and gas sector, and adding the Falcon as its resource is in keeping with the federal government’s initiative to increase indigenous participation in the sector.

Falcon depth options range from 300 m to 1,000 m. Falcon's iCON intelligent control system allows the option of customization of the vehicle and gives the pilot total control. The vehicle provides easy access to spares and a choice of tools and accessories, as well as an open frame construction allowing ease of fitting various sensors and tooling to meet client requirements. The vehicle has a five-function manipulator arm, wire cutter and brushes enabling light work intervention.

400kHz RESON T50 multibeam and did not only reveal individual munitions items, but also numerous, at first glance, piles of unidentifiable objects. Owing to high beam density (600 beams/120° swath) and small footprints (0.5x1°), even sedimentary features, such as scours around possible targets could be observed. Based on this data, a contact list was created and once again the AUVs were deployed for mapping. After the trip, detailed processing and interpretation of the data revealed that the Pelzerhaken area alone contains at least 1691 individual munitions objects and 127 piles of munitions. The different distribution patterns originate from two very different methods of dumping. One way was to throw the munitions overboard, which led to individual objects sometimes forming lines or other patterns, which now allow the course of a dumping vessel to be retraced. The other method of dumping was to fill barges with munitions and open them once a dedicated site had been reached. This resulted in chaotic piles of both larger objects and boxes containing smaller items. Figure 5 shows both types of patterns in the Pelzerhaken area.

To make best use of the time, multibeam mapping was always conducted at night time. Once the areas in Lübeck Bay had been fully mapped, the researchers spontaneously decided to visit yet another site that is located 6nm to the east. Historic research indicates that the area called Großklützhöved was used to scuttle entire barges that were loaded with munitions. The prospect of investigating a munitions-filled wreck was exciting to everyone on board and when the first wreck was visible in the data, the entire group quickly gathered around the multibeam station. During the course of the night, two additional wrecks (one of which appeared to be a sailing boat) were found. The next day, the two sunken barges were explored using towed TV-CTD with real-time video stream. One of them capsized and lost its hazardous cargo during sinking. In the darkness of the Baltic Sea, a pile of grenade cartridges came into view of the TV-CTD LED spots. The photo and video footage combined with high resolution MBES led to a more qualified estimate of the amount of dumped munitions. For the planning of future

Hyprops said the Falcon will give them the ability to meet the constant and vital need to inspect pipelines, flowlines, risers, vessels and platforms in both shallow and deepwater projects.

mass spectrometry. The AUVs ANTON and LUISE went on 36 missions to acquire tens of thousands of photographs and finally, 32 TV-CTD profiles were filmed. It will take the researchers a year to evaluate this massive amount of data. By then, they will be ready to embark on MineMoni-III, which is planned for October 2021.

Disclaimer: With the contribution of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund of the European Union (Grant Agreement No: 863702 (BASTA); 863693 (ExPloTect)

Hyprops will deploy the Falcon on subsea inspection, survey, light-intervention and maintenance services for current and future projects in the Nigerian market where their clients include international and indigenous oil companies.

Hyprops Nigeria Ltd. has chosen the Saab Seaeye Falcon robotic vehicle to increase its longterm footprint in Nigeria|image courtesy

Gazania well starts drilling offshore South Africa

Ocean Infinity Expands Robotic Fleet with Six Additional AUVs

The semisub Island Innovator has spud the Gazania-1 exploration well in Block 2B offshore South Africa for operator Eco Atlantic and its partners.

Kongsberg Maritime has announced that Ocean Infinity has signed an order for six HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) rated to 3,000 metres depth.

NOAA Unveils 2022 Hydrographic Survey Season Plans

NOAA hydrographic survey ships and contractors are preparing for the 2022 hydrographic survey season in U.S. coastal waters and beyond. The ships collect bathymetric data (i.e. map the seafloor) to support nautical charting, modelling and research, but also collect other environmental data to support a variety of ecosystem sciences.

This latest order from Ocean Infinity takes their fleet of HUGIN AUVs to more than 20.

The drilling location is 25 km offshore the Northern Cape in the Orange Basin in 150 m of water. Gazania-1 will be drilled to a depth of about 2,800 m through a multi-zone pay section 7 km updip of Soekor’s 1988 AJ-1 discovery well on the same acreage.

The vehicles are equipped with a geophysical sensor suite and the latest-generation Kongsberg batteries. The new vehicles will be mobilized for global operations, enabled by Ocean Infinity’s remote operations infrastructure. The vehicles will integrate as part of the Armada fleet of uncrewed and optionally-crewed vessels and will augment the company’s existing AUVs, rated to 6,000 metres depth.

This flowed 191 bbl/d of light, sweet crude to the surface and proved about 50 MMbbl of contingent resources.

Dan Hook, CTO of Ocean Infinity, said: “Lessening the environmental impact of operations at sea is core to our business, and with an expanded fleet of robotics we’ll have greater capacity to offer sustainable offshore data acquisition services. Using these AUVs as part of our robotic fleet, we’ll be supporting the growing renewables sector with remote data and inspection services.”

Gazania-1 is targeting more than 300 MMbbl of light oil. Pending a discovery in the vertical section, the partners have an option to directionally drill a second sidetrack well from the main wellbore.

Both the vertical well and the sidetrack optional well will be logged and plugged back to surface, with the casing cut off below surface.

NOAA considers hydrographic survey requests from stakeholders such as marine pilots, local port authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard and the boating community, and also considers other hydrographic and NOAA science priorities in determining where to survey and when. It is worth visiting NOAA’s ‘living’ story map to find out more about the mapping projects and whether a hydrographic vessel will be in your area this year.

Block 2B is in a similar syn-rift basin to

TotalEnergies and Shell’s oil and gas discoveries earlier this year offshore Namibia. The partners have identified prospectivity over the entire A-J graben area from 686 sq km of 3D seismic data acquired in 2013.

Image courtesy

Steel plant project survey in Zimbabwe

ZETDC commence topographic surveys on power line for largest steel plant

The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has commence topographic survey to determine the route along which the 100km transmission line from sherwood sub-station in Kwekwe to the new steel plant in Manhize near Mvuma will be erected.

Dinson Iron and Steel Company (Disco), a subsidiary of China's Tsingshan Holding Group Company Limited, is constructing Africa’s largest steel plant in Manhize at an estimate capital outlay of US$1 billion. The plant is scheduled for commissioning next year and

will have the capacity to produce 1,2 million tonnes of steel per annum.

ZETDC, the distribution arm of State power utility Zesa, intends to construct the 330-kilovolt transmission line at a cost of US$66 million through a loan to be funded by Disco. The loan will be recovered from ZETDC through deductions from Disco's monthly bills until it is fully paid over an estimated fiveyear period.

In an interview, ZETDC acting Managing Director Engineer Howard Choga said the

Tsingshan Holdings steel mine |Image Tsingshan Holdings

topographic survey on where the electric towers for the transmission line will be constructed was 80% complete.

“After the environmental impact assessment was done, (topographic) survey works have started and equipment for wailing (transmission equipment such as pylons) has been acquired and we are now doing a topographic survey which is critical as it gives us guidance in determining where the electric towers for the transmission line will be erected,” he said.

At present, Manhize is connected to the national grid but this cannot support the huge steel works to be undertaken; hence the need to connect the operations to the trunk grid via Sherwood. It is hoped that the planned 330kv connection will also reinforce electricity supplies to other industries in Manhize and the surrounding areas.

Recently, President Mnangagwa officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Disco Steel project, which the government has granted national projected status, and is expected to have its first blast furnace up and running by September next year.

“The topographic survey, which started recently, could now be at 80%, there will be a site meeting where we will get further feedback before construction of the power line begins soon,” said Eng Choga

Under the first phase of the integrated steel plant, thousands of jobs will be created while on full completion at least 10,000 people will be employed directly and 50,000 others across the value chain.

Meanwhile, Disco and Zesa Enterprises (Zent), a subsidiary of Zesa responsible for engineering solutions to the electricity sector, will establish a galvanizing plant around the end of next year to produce steel towers needed for transmission lines and many other steel products. Galvanizing is the process of coating iron or steel with zinc to protect them from rusting.

Image courtesy

Image courtesy

“The topographic survey, which started recently, could now be at 80%, there will be a site meeting where we will get further feedback before construction of the power line begins soon.”

Weaponised drones

the latest tech threat to reach Africa

By Karen Allen

Drones have for some time been used by regular armed forces on Africa’s battlefields, such as in Ethiopia and Mali. But now they’re increasingly being deployed by terrorists – sparking a global sense of urgency.

At the end of October, the United Nations (UN) Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee will host a special meeting in India on countering the use of new technologies for terrorism. Drones or unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have been identified as one of the key terrorist threats by the meeting’s organisers. Other risks are disinformation, the misuse of social media, and new payment technologies used by violent extremists.

Drones are by and large a force for good, for example in delivering medicines to hard-to-reach parts of Africa. But their widespread availability, increased range and growing sophistication in terms of payload (what they can carry) have seen an expansion in their applications.

The hobbyist drone market has grown rapidly, with global sales increasing from US$14 billion in 2018 to a projected US$43 billion in 2024, according to Drone Industry Insights. South Africa represents the biggest market in Africa, particularly for aerial technology used in the mining and agricultural sectors. This democratisation of relatively affordable technology means that UAS can be used for nefarious ends both in wartime and peace.

The Ukraine-Russian war has underscored the significance of the new drone battlespace with an arms race in production and acquisition underway. But drones can also be bought, adapted and used to disrupt critical infrastructure such as airports, energy plants and communications networks.

As African governments assess the risks of cyber attacks

on critical infrastructure such as on Transnet in South Africa in 2021, they should also consider the unintended consequences of drone proliferation.

The continent has yet to witness a major installation being targeted by a UAS. But there is growing evidence of drones being weaponised by violent extremists and transnational criminal networks, either as a surveillance tool or as part of their intelligence and reconnaissance operations. As ISS Today has previously reported, armed groups such as al-Shabaab in Somalia and insurgents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique are applying the technology in combat.

UN Security Council Resolution 2617 recognises the increasing misuse of UAS globally, including ‘the misuse of unmanned aerial systems by terrorists to conduct attacks against, and incursions into, restricted commercial and government infrastructure and public places.’ Council members have been urged to ‘balance fostering innovation’ while ‘preventing the misuse of UAS.’ But how can this be achieved in practice?

For a start, research is being done to understand how terrorists use drones. A joint UN Office of CounterTerrorism, and Conflict Armament Research project is underway to assess global trends. The next steps will be to classify types of UAS (hobbyist, commercial, military, etc.) and establish a registration system so they can be tracked.

The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism has developed a good practice guide on protecting vulnerable targets from drone attacks, knowing that commercial or hobbyist drones are being shaped into weapons. 3D printing technology also opens up the prospect of spare parts being rapidly manufactured by extremists.

While countries such as South Africa may not consider themselves at risk of an imminent terrorist attack, industry insiders worry about economic terrorism – the destabilisation of essential utilities or other state services.

Kim James, an executive member of the Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Association of Southern Africa, confirms that crime syndicates use ‘narco drones’ in South Africa for basic reconnaissance and to distribute drugs. A similar tactic is seen in Colombia to evade border security measures. The prospect of drones being used to target, for example, cash-in-transit vehicles is a possibility.

While tighter regulations won’t necessarily prevent the nefarious uses of drone technology, they can provide early warning signs. They could, for example, locate suspect drones or flag the delivery of bulk purchases of hobbyist drones close to potential targets. This was seen in Iraq and Syria in 2016 when large consignments of hobbyist drones were delivered to Turkey and then driven across the border.

As Audrey Kurth Cronin observed in her book Power to the People: How Open Technological Innovation is Arming Tomorrow’s Terrorists, ‘the most common type of drone used by Islamic State was the DJI phantom, purchasable on Amazon.com for as little as 450 USD.’ Export controls

for such dual use technologies may also be an avenue for policymakers to consider.

Regulations require enforcement. Given the broad applications of drones, it will need an approach in which government departments coordinate their responses. In South Africa,  the Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Association of Southern Africa is drawing up proposals with the Department for Economic Development for a registration and accreditation process that protects the public but doesn’t harm business.

Technical fixes and alerts including how to identify potentially dangerous drones, are also being developed by the private sector with a focus on big installations such as mines, pipelines, prisons, airports etc. This raises questions of who is legally permitted to intercept a drone, and of state sovereignty and international law.

This month’s UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee meeting will have to tread carefully so as not to hamper the legitimate use of drones which is transforming business, agriculture, humanitarian relief and medicine in Africa. At the same time, the continent presents a vulnerable environment where weaponised drones may be tested and used by militaries and insurgents alike.

Karen Allen, is a Consultant at ISS Pretoria

Turkey deepens its defense diplomacy in

Africa

Sales of drones and other arms to African nations are booming after Turkey signed military cooperation deals with dozens of governments on the continent. DW examines why so many countries are turning to Turkey for arms.

Turkey is stepping up its security footprint in Africa after over a decade of strategically expanding its economic and cultural influence on the continent. The government has recently inked a number of security agreements, particularly in West Africa, and arms exports to Africa have exploded.

Turkey's defense and aerospace exports to the continent grew more than fivefold, to $460.6 million, in 2021 — up from $82.9 million in 2020.

Turkey's share of Africa's arms market is still tiny at 0.5%. But the rapid growth of defense sales is "striking," according to a 2022 study

on Turkey's security diplomacy in Africa by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).

Against a backdrop of growing Islamist insurgencies in both East and West Africa, as well as domestic conflicts, governments are upping their defense spending. Turkey is proving a reliable alternative to traditional arms exporters, such as Russia, China, France and the United States.

For African governments, "Turkey provides a means of actually purchasing military hardware," Abel Abate Demissie, an associate fellow at the British think tank Chatham House, told DW.

Turkish arms are relatively cheap, have shorter delivery times and come free of "bureaucratic hurdles" such as political or human rights conditions, Abel said from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

The media aide to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari praised

By Kate Hairsine and Burak Ünveren

Turkish defense technology in a statement in late 2021, saying it would accelerate efforts to rid the country "of pockets of terrorists and the menace of kidnappers and bandits."

African nations are most interested in buying Turkish-manufactured armored vehicles, naval equipment, infantry weapons and drones, according to the SWP study.

Why are Turkish-manufactured drones so popular?

"In Africa, wherever we went, they asked us for unarmed and armed drones," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after returning from a 2021 trip to the continent.

African nations that have already taken delivery of Turkishmanufactured drones include Somalia, Togo, Niger, Nigeria and Ethiopia — although the drone sales to Ethiopia have attracted Western criticism after the government used them to attack civilians in the Tigray conflict.

Several others have reportedly placed orders, although Turkey's popular Bayraktar drone currently has a three-year waiting list.

Turkey's drones are cheap compared to US or Israeli versions and easy to operate. But a big selling point is that they are battle-proven, said Yunus Turhan, an analyst of Turkey Africa relations at Haci Bayram Veli University in Turkey.

Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used "very effectively" in Syria, Libya and in Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said. Most recently, the Bayraktar TB2 armed drones have gained fame in Ukraine for destroying large numbers of Russian tanks.

For Turkey, Africa is potentially huge market for Ankara's emerging defense and aerospace industry, which boasted some 1,500 companies in 2020 compared to just 56 in 2002.

At least 15 African nations also operate armored vehicles, made by several competing Turkish firms.

Last month a Turkish shipyard laid the keel for two new offshore patrol vessels for Nigeria's navy while another Turkish aerospace company will send six attack helicopters.

New security training deals

African nations aren't just interested in Turkey's arms, though. There's also a "huge demand" for security assistance, said Ovigwe Eguegu, a Nigerian-based political analyst for Development Reimagined, an international consultancy

Turkey has signed military-related pacts with the majority of African countries, mainly in West and East Africa (as shown in the map below). While the deals vary in scope, they can include technical

visits to research centers, personnel exchanges between institutions and companies, and training.

Its longest-standing involvement is in Somalia, where Turkey operates its biggest foreign base, Camp TURKSOM, and where the Turkish government has boasted of training a third of Somalia's 15,000-strong army in the fight against al-Shabab.

Nigerian military personnel have also undergone combat drone instruction in Turkey, while Ankara has been training Kenyan police officers since 2020.

Turkey's experience fighting counterinsurgency is welcome, and, as a Muslim-majority nation without colonial baggage, it enjoys a high level of trust on the continent, Eguegu said. Plus, because of its NATO membership, deepening ties with Turkey comes at "a low diplomatic cost" for African countries.

Erdogan, who has visited more African countries than any non-African leader, has even redefined Turkey as an "Afro-Eurasian state," Eguegu pointed out. "By connecting its identity with Africa, it's a way to make itself almost a neutral partner of African countries."

Sahel nations eager for support

But it's in the terrorist-hit Sahel countries in West Africa and Central Africa where Turkey is making its latest push to extend its influence.

Turkey gave the G5 Sahel Joint Force (made up of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) a $5 million contribution for the fight against terrorism in 2018.

It has since signed military cooperation and defense agreements with Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Senegal.

"We see these types of requests from West African countries, because they have huge security challenges across the Sahel, where lots of countries aren't in control of large swaths of their territories," Eguegu said.

Military cooperation not only solution

The 2021 Turkey-Africa summit attracted 16 African heads of state and more than 100 ministers.

This shows that the continent is increasingly attaching strategic importance to Turkey, said Senegal-based peace and security analyst Aissatou Kante, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, an African think tank

Though African nations are obviously interested in diversifying their partnerships, including in the security field, Kante said there was a danger in seeing defense agreements, such as those signed with Turkey, as the only solution to Africa's security crises.

The revival of defense agreements raises concerns about "an increasing militarization of states facing multiple threats," Kante said.

Edited by: Keith Walker

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