Norwegian renewables group Scatec ASA has started commercial operations at the 273 MW Grootfontein solar power plant in South Africa

Separately, the Oslo-listed company announced that it has signed up EDF Power and Norfund as partners on its flagship 1.1GW solar and battery storage hybrid project, Obelisk in Egypt.

“Obelisk is Scatec’s largest project to start construction to date and combines solar and batteries to deliver stable and cost competitive renewable energy to support Egypt’s growing power demand and energy transition,” said Scatec CEO Terje Pilskog.

Following the transaction, Norfund will own 25% of the Obelisk holding company with Scatec owning the remaining 75%.

EDF power solutions will own 20% of the operating company (SPV), bringing Scatec’s and Norfund’s total economic interest to 60% and 20% respectively with Scatec retaining economic control of the power plant.

Scatec added that it is in “advanced discussions” with additional equity partners, aiming to reduce Scatec’s economic interest in the project further.

In South Africa, the smaller Grootfontein project will generate solid revenues via a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

“Bringing the Grootfontein plant into operation is an important milestone for Scatec and our partners,” said Pilskog.

“As our first project in the Western Cape, and the first solar project to reach COD under REIPPPP Round 5, this achievement reflects the dedication and resilience of our teams and contractors.”

The power plant is expected to generate 700 GWh of clean energy annually, leading to an estimated abatement of 630,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, making it the largest co-located solar PV cluster in the Western Cape.

Scatec owns 51% of the equity in the project, and partners with H1 Holdings, its local Black Economic Empowerment partner, and the Grootfontein Local Community Trust.

Scatec will also continue to provide Operation & Maintenance and Asset Management services to the power project.

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West Wits Mining has officially commenced operations at the Qala Shallows Underground Mine, marking South Africa’s first new underground gold mine in 15 years

The development represents a major step forward for the company and strengthens the long-term trajectory of the Witwatersrand Basin Project.

A ceremony west of Johannesburg gathered senior government officials, industry leaders, diplomats, and community representatives. Among the attendees were the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe (or senior departmental delegates), Australian High Commissioner Tegan Brink, Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane, as well as investors, partners, and local stakeholders.

During the event, West Wits CEO and Group Managing Director, Rudi Deysel, underscored the project’s significance as a resurgence of confidence in the Central Rand’s geological promise.

“For years, many believed the Central Rand had reached the end of its mining life, but Qala Shallows shows that with rigorous geological work, clear planning and disciplined execution – and strong cooperation between government and business – new underground gold mines can still be developed in this district,” Deysel said.

“The Witwatersrand built Johannesburg and shaped our economy, and it still holds substantial potential for the future.”

Deysel acknowledged the contributions of government partners, lenders, surrounding communities and industry collaborators, crediting them with the successful realisation of the project.

“Together we have brought a new mine to life in one of the world’s most historic gold districts, and today, Qala Shallows starts a fresh chapter for the Witwatersrand and for South African gold mining.”

Development status and production outlook

Since work began in July 2025, construction and underground development at Qala Shallows have progressed smoothly, with all key milestones met within schedule. The project delivered its first ore to surface in October 2025, and all essential underground systems required for the production phase have been completed. Surface ore stockpiles continue to grow and are expected to reach around 30,000 tonnes before the initial gold pour planned for March 2026.

Long-term role in West Wits’ growth plans

Bringing Qala Shallows online transforms West Wits from a developer into an operating gold producer, reinforcing the company’s commitment to South Africa and laying the groundwork for extended expansion within the Witwatersrand Basin Project. The broader project contains a Mineral Resource Estimate exceeding 5 million ounces³, with Qala Shallows acting as the first stage of a phased rollout. Additional development zones such as Bird Reef Central are expected to incrementally support future production targets.

These steps align with the company’s Project 200 vision, focused on achieving annual output of 200,000 ounces through sustainable, disciplined execution.

Upcoming activities

Over the coming months, West Wits will continue underground advancement and surface work at Qala Shallows as it prepares for the first gold pour in March 2026. In parallel, planning and development efforts for later phases of the Witwatersrand Basin Project will continue to move forward.

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has announced a major shift for the continent’s aviation sector with the full-scale rollout of Free Route Airspace (FRA) across the Western and Central Africa (WACAF) region as of 30 October 2025

This development follows the positive outcomes of FRA trials that began in November 2023, enabling airlines to design and operate more direct User Preferred Routes (UPRs). The shift to UPRs marks a significant improvement in operational efficiency, allowing pilots to choose optimal flight paths based on real-time conditions instead of adhering to fixed conventional routes. The result is reduced fuel use, faster journeys and lower emissions, enhancing both sustainability and airline performance.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has backed the FRA programme from the outset, supporting its progression within the framework of its Memorandum of Understanding with AFRAA, the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Global Air Navigation Plan and the work of the Africa-India FRA Planning and Implementation Regional Group.

The full implementation is the outcome of collaboration between air operators and air navigation service providers, who agreed to conclude the trial period during a joint workshop in Dakar, Senegal.

“The implementation of Free Route Airspace in the WACAF region is a game-changer for African aviation,” said Abdérahmane Berthé, AFRAA secretary general.

“This is a testament to what we can achieve through collaboration. By cutting flight times and fuel consumption, we are not only boosting the competitiveness and profitability of our airlines but also making a significant commitment to environmental sustainability.”

Kanayo Awani, executive vice-president for Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, also highlighted the bank’s continued support: “Efficient, safe, and well-regulated air services are critical to facilitating intra-African trade, tourism and connectivity in line with the objectives of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Afreximbank is fully committed to supporting the full implementation of SAATM and the establishment of an effective and efficient aviation industry through a range of financing instruments, including its aircraft leasing platform as well as trade facilitation interventions.”

The initiative has already demonstrated tangible benefits for the first airlines involved. Six major carriers, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, EGYPTAIR, Royal Air Maroc, RwandAir, and ASKY Airlines, received approval to operate UPRs linking 30 important routes. These optimised trajectories are expected to save more than 1,393 flight hours each year, reduce fuel consumption by 5,000 metric tonnes, avoid 16,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions and cut fuel costs by around US$15mn annually.

With the WACAF region now fully accessible for free routing, airlines can file User Preferred Routes from 30 October 2025. ANSPs have also agreed to process new UPR requests within 48 hours. Once administrative updates across the 24 WACAF states are completed, the approval requirement will be removed entirely from mid-2026.

Following the WACAF milestone, attention will now turn to implementing FRA across the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESAF) region in 2026. Plans also include the creation of a digital coordination platform to simplify the interaction between airlines and ANSPs across the continent.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Algeria’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Startups, and Micro-Enterprises have agreed to deepen cooperation to accelerate the growth of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa

The announcement came at the close of the fourth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025), hosted in Algiers from 4 to 10 September. Leading the Bank’s delegation, Ousmane Fall, Acting Director of the Industrial and Trade Development Department, highlighted the AfDB’s central role in unlocking finance for African businesses. “Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and startups is one of the key pillars of our work, as defined in the Four Cardinal Points of the Bank group’s new president, Dr Sidi Ould Tah,” said Fall. He added, “The Bank will support SMEs through an innovative approach that combines new financing instruments, advisory services, and policy reforms to promote their emergence across the continent.”

Strengthening private sector engagement

Ahead of discussions with Minister Noureddine Ouadah, the Bank delegation met with Algeria Venture, the state-backed startup accelerator. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation, particularly by linking Algerian startup funding mechanisms with leading private equity and venture capital funds. They also confirmed plans to jointly take part in the African Startup Conference, scheduled in Algiers from 6 to 9 December 2025, which aims to promote innovation, strengthen networks, and attract investment on a continental scale.

Closing IATF 2025, Minister Ouadah announced the launch of a new investment fund for African startups, an initiative championed by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, underlining Algeria’s commitment to prioritising youth and innovation in shaping Africa’s economic future.

The AfDB’s Non-Sovereign Operations team also presented financing solutions for the private sector while pursuing new strategic collaborations. Engagements with firms such as Solewant Group, a Nigerian steel and coatings leader, illustrated the Bank’s interest in high-impact African companies.

Showcasing innovation and entrepreneurship

The AfDB further contributed to several IATF sessions, including one organised with UNDP’s Timbuktoo initiative and the African Union on “Building an Enabling Startup Ecosystem,” as well as a discussion hosted by Afreximbank’s African Research and Innovation Centre. These platforms enabled the Bank to highlight its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab and its flagship ENNOVA programme, which helps entrepreneurs expand their operations and access new opportunities.

The IATF Advisory Council, in which the Bank is an active participant, announced that Lagos, Nigeria, will host the fifth edition of the fair in 2027. Reaffirming its commitment, the AfDB stressed that trade, entrepreneurship, and innovation remain central to driving inclusive growth and industrial transformation across the continent.

FLS has completed a significant upgrade to its polyurethane manufacturing facility in Delmas, Mpumalanga, positioning the site as a key global hub for the production of its advanced NexGen wear-resistant material

This development forms part of a wider modernisation programme by FLS, aimed at strengthening supply chains, increasing manufacturing efficiency and enhancing
sustainability across its global footprint.

Brad Shepherd, director service line - screen and feeder consumables at FLS, said the investment at Delmas aligns with the company’s global strategy to standardise and optimise production processes.

“This is a milestone for us,” commented Shepherd. “We are integrating cutting edge technology and modern manufacturing methodologies across all our polyurethane plants, and Delmas is leading the way. The upgrade enables us to respond more quickly and reliably to customer needs across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.”

The centrepiece of the upgrade is the introduction of purpose-built infrastructure to produce NexGen screen media - a polyurethane material developed by FLS to deliver extended wear life, reduced maintenance and improved operational efficiency. In on-site trials, screen panels made from NexGen have demonstrated up to three times the wear life of conventional rubber and polyurethane products, making it a gamechanger for industries that rely on high performance screening solutions.

Warren Walker, head of global manufacturing - polyurethane operations at FLS, explained that Delmas is the first of the company’s five global polyurethane plants to complete this transition. “We have installed new, latest generation polyurethane machines, precision tooling and dedicated preheating ovens for inserts,” he said. “This allows us to significantly increase our output while ensuring consistent quality.”

The facility now includes two trommel screen media stations and three screen media stations, each tailored to produce NexGen products. One of the standout technologies introduced is a programmable auto- calibrating polyurethane machine capable of adjusting material hardness to suit
specific applications.

“The flexibility to produce varying hardness levels is critical,” Walker noted. “It means we can tailor our screen media precisely to the customer’s application, ensuring optimum performance and longevity.”

To complement this, a high capacity polyurethane machine capable of pouring up to 42 kg per minute is in operation at the facility. This system is particularly suited to applications requiring large volume pours, such as flotation spare parts and vertical mill components.

The Delmas facility already benefited from a significant upgrade in 2019, when a state-of-the-art six-axis machining centre was introduced for tooling precision, along with robotic welding systems for manufacturing screen media panel inserts and a CNC controlled spiral welding machine to produce wedge wire products. The latest round of investments builds on this foundation and brings the facility to the forefront of global polyurethane production capability.

Energy efficiency was a key consideration in the new layout and equipment design. “We have incorporated smart energy saving features like individual temperature control on each casting table station,” Walker remarked. “This avoids the need to heat large surface areas unnecessarily and contributes to our carbon reduction goals.”

Further supporting these goals is the installation of 300 kW of solar generation capacity at the Delmas site, completed in 2024. Plans are already in place to expand this by another 500 kW in 2026, along with the integration of a battery energy storage system (BESS), enabling greater energy independence and resilience.

FLS’s offering from Delmas extends beyond screen media manufacturing. The facility is equipped to handle the complete fabrication of vibrating screens, from raw material processing and in-house machining to assembly and factory acceptance testing. This vertical integration allows the company to deliver customised solutions with tighter control over quality and lead times.

Shepherd emphasises that FLS operates both as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a screen media specialist, supplying screen panels for all types and brands of vibrating screens, feeders and trommel screens.

“We don’t just supply products,” he said. “We work closely with our customers through our network of on-the-ground specialists to assess site conditions and select the best screening media for their specific needs.”

He notes that many older processing plants are treating materials that differ from their original design specifications. In these cases, screen efficiency can often only be improved by optimising the screen media. “This is where NexGen makes a real difference,” Shepherd commented. “Combined with the correct aperture design, it allows customers to get more life and better performance from their screens.”

Unlike injection-moulded polyurethane, which can compromise the structural integrity of screen panels, FLS’s proprietary process retains superior mechanical properties, resulting in a tougher more durable product. “We have never used injection moulding because it reduces the quality of the end product,” Shepherd explained. “Our process delivers a product that stands up to the toughest operating conditions and offers lasting value.”

Walker adds that the expansion at Delmas not only supports FLS’s global operations but also contributes meaningfully to the South African economy. “Our commitment to local manufacturing is evident in the scale of our investment and the jobs we have created,” he said. “We have expanded our workforce, prioritised local recruitment and significantly grown our apprenticeship programme.”

A strong focus has also been placed on developing female artisans. In 2024, six women from the local community were recruited into a three year trade apprenticeship programme, receiving training in welding, fitting and boilermaking.

“Our investment during a period of economic uncertainty underlines FLS’s long term commitment to South Africa and to our customers in the broader EMEA region,” said Walker. “We are not just building products – we are building skills, opportunities and partnerships that will power sustainable growth for years to come.”