Industry

There will be variable speed drives on the hoist and the long- and cross-travels, and control will be by pendant. (Image source: Condra)

South Africa’s current steel shortage is compounding an already serious obstacle to the efficient functioning of the subcontinent’s overhead crane market: declining service footprints

Innovative electric car manufacturer Tesla is making its way to Africa by quietly installing its first “supercharger” charging stations in Morocco. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Electric car manufacturer Tesla has installed its first charging stations in Morocco, the first in Africa

The two installations comprise the first charging stations in Africa, where Tesla’s emergence has been slow, despite founder Elon Musk being South African by birth.

Innovative electric car manufacturer Tesla is making its way to Africa by quietly installing its first “supercharger” charging stations in Morocco. While international businesses usually announce such moves through elaborate press releases and glitzy events, Tesla chose to simply install the stations without any notice.

Africa’s first supercharger stations were spotted in Tangier, near the main highway that connects Morocco’s major cities on the Atlantic coast. The company installed four supercharger stations capable of delivering 150kW near the Tangier Al Houara Hilton Resort.

The second set of superchargers was installed at the Onomo Hotel in Casablanca, with a similar set of four 150kW charging stations.

The two installations comprise the first charging stations in Africa, where Tesla’s emergence has been slow, despite founder Elon Musk being South African by birth. The two stations will make Tesla cars a feasible option for up-market customers who regularly travel between Tangier, a busy trade hub in Morocco’s north, to Casablanca, the country’s main economic center.

The absence of charging stations had made Tesla cars a rarity in Africa, where the only charging options consisted of “Tesla connectors” at some hotels and private residences. These connectors deliver up to 22kW, a typical setup for home charging.

Despite the lack of charging stations, Tesla cars are already a wanted commodity in Africa, although not an option for long-distance driving. The emergence of two official charging stations in Morocco is likely to see a rapid growth in interest in electric vehicles.

DPO will soon launch a new payment solution, DPO Pay, for businesses in some of Network International’s territories and across Africa. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

DPO Group (DPO), Africa’s one of the leading payment service providers (PSP), has finalised its acquisition by Network International, a globally renowned enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa

Cummins has been expanding its footprint across the world with its hydrogen technology, for a sustainable present and the future. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

In the second MENA Energy meet, Cummins has decided to deploy large-scale hydrogen projects in MENA region, reinforced by its global presence, mass production facilities, and the active participation in different global energy councils

The recently conducted second MENA Energy Meet gave a collaborative platform for global and regional energy stakeholders, leading industry experts, policymakers, and government officials to discuss approaches and solutions aimed at shaping the future of the energy sector. 

Cummins Arabia, a part of this significant consortium, was represented by Alan D Kneisz, global business development director, hydrogen and fuel cell, Cummins, who elucidated the company’s energy transition endeavor. As part of his presentation, he explained how Cummins has been expanding its footprint across the world with its hydrogen technology, for a sustainable present and the future. 

Alan shed light on how the demand for fossil fuels might decrease by 2030, giving rise to hydrogen energy demands, and how the MENA region is poised to become a world leader in fulfilling the same. He expounded on the region’s potential because of the captive markets both locally and in Europe, having large demands of Green Hydrogen with aggressive decarbonisation targets. 

Showcasing the highlights of Cummins global leadership in electrolysis and fuel cell projects and its green hydrogen ecosystem, the presentation highlights also encapsulated the Cummins product line - for both stationary and mobility applications, and the worlds most advanced fuel cell modules. 

The audience was led through the benefits of the advent of the hydrogen ecosystem - leading to zero emissions, and as a low-cost alternative over CCUS. The focus was also on ease of adoption, achieved easily through zero-emission funding for carbon reduction in cities and with local partnerships. Touching upon the much debated topic of scalability, Alan justified how Cummins is well placed to achieve the same for hydrogen and fuel cells production and deployment in the MENA region.

He concluded by stressing on the economic ability of Cummins to deploy large-scale hydrogen projects, reinforced by its global presence, mass production facilities, and the active participation in different global energy councils (such as hydrogen councils) that makes the company a trusted player to meet the needs of the growing hydrogen economy.

To sum up, the 2nd Edition MENA Energy Meet was an abode of knowledge where different speakers shared their expert views on the trends and developments in the energy sector, and highlighted valuable insights into the capability and power of hydrogen to shape its future.