Using Steel Imports As a Weapon In a Trade War May Hurt South Africa

The news of the closure of Robor, a 90-year old South African blue-chip steel producer, has recently occupied industrial news headlines. At the time of the introduction of duties in 2015, NEASA cautioned government of the consequences of introducing import duties to protect South Africa’s steel monopoly, AMSA, calling it a “slow poison” causing the inevitable and painful demise of the steel downstream. Since then, many steel companies have shut down and in the recent weeks some prominent names, including Robor, either downsized substantially or even closed their doors. The…

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ABB’s protection and control relay solves Sappi power challenges

ABB solution fulfills all customer requirements such as high-level reliability of protection in pulp and paper plant and compliance with grid code   Power Plant Electrical Technologies (PPE), an ABB channel partner in South Africa, decided to use ABB’s new REX640 protection and control relay to develop a custom solution for Sappi’s Ngodwana pulp and paper mill. This solution will replace ageing relay panels with modern equipment, which offers additional functionality. Sappi also wanted to upgrade the grid-tie protection system in accordance with South Africa’s public electricity utility Eskom’s grid…

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