Everllence — formerly MAN Energy Solutions — has unveiled its new 175D genset for data centre applications

Designed for reliable backup power for digital infrastructure, the 175D high-speed engine stationary genset has been tailored for the growth of the data centre market across the world.

“Demand for data centres is rising rapidly, driven in particular by the growing use of AI, which increases the need for a reliable power supply,” said Alexander Stöckler, head of power segment at Everllence.

“The 175D GenSet delivers this reliability based on our proven in-house high‑speed engine of the same name.”

Made in Europe, the engine delivers 2.4 MWe (3 MVA) of standby power and is engineered for fast, stable load-acceptance in accordance with international standard ISO 8528‑5.

As a European OEM, Everllence operates an integrated engine-production system with the 175D manufactured in both Germany and Denmark. The company produces key components in-house, including the engine block, turbochargers and cylinder heads.

In addition, the SaCoS 5000 engine control system, developed by Everllence, is designed to ensure the highest cybersecurity standards.

“With more than 37 GW of installed power-plant capacity worldwide, we are a long‑standing and reliable partner to the energy sector,” said Marius Zasche, global business development, highspeed, Everllence.

“Everllence is the only supplier that provides data centre operators with both medium‑speed engines for primary power supply and high‑speed units for backup.”

At the same time, customers also benefit from a global service network. More than 140 Everllence PrimeServ locations offer rapid support, spare parts and predictive maintenance, ensuring the engines’ long‑term operational reliability.

The standardised 175D genset, which can be flexibly integrated into containerised solutions, is designed for a grid frequency of 50 Hz and features a compact design with high power-density. The robust design and electrically powered cooling systems ensure reliable and long-lasting operation even under varying environmental conditions.

The new genset also supports alternative fuels, being HVO‑capable and methanol‑ready, making it suitable for operators seeking to eventually decarbonise their power supply.

“The 175D genset technical platform is based on more than 15 years of experience in high‑speed engine development,” said Tobias Kappelmann-Münch, senior product manager, highspeed, and project manager, data centre, Everllence.

“We are now expanding the range of applications of this proven technology to data centre operations.”

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Volvo Trucks South Africa has marked a major milestone in its electromobility journey, with its customer-operated electric truck fleet surpassing 250,000 km since the vehicles were first introduced to the local market in 2023

The achievement highlights the growing adoption of battery-electric trucks across a range of commercial transport applications.

The fleet has been operating in diverse environments, helping customers reduce emissions while gaining first-hand experience in electric transport operations. The milestone was achieved using Volvo's current generation of heavy-duty electric truck models.

"While a quarter of a million kilometres may seem modest compared with the more than 400 million already accumulated by Volvo electric trucks globally, it represents a significant achievement in the South African context, where the majority of Volvo electric trucks are operating on shorter-route and urban distribution applications," said Eric Parry, senior manager sustainable solutions at Volvo Trucks South Africa.

Across the customer fleet, the vehicles are averaging approximately 2,000 km per month, while the highest-utilisation trucks consistently record around 10,000 km per month. Average energy consumption across the fleet stands at 1.77 kWh/km, covering a range of applications from eight-tonne 4x2 trucks carrying payloads of five to seven tonnes to 6x4 tractor units hauling interlink trailers with payloads exceeding 32 tonnes.

The milestone reflects customers' confidence in Volvo Trucks' electric mobility solutions and demonstrates that battery-electric trucks can reliably support everyday commercial transport operations.

Reflecting on the progress, Parry said, "Our customers have embraced this technology with a willingness to learn, adapt and pioneer new ways of operating. Reaching a quarter of a million kilometres is not only a testament to the capability of the trucks, but also to the commitment of the customers and drivers who are making this achievement possible."

The operational data collected over the past two years has also provided valuable insights into charging strategies, vehicle utilisation, uptime requirements and driver experience under real-world South African operating conditions.

All customer fleets currently charge their electric trucks either at depots or loading and off-loading facilities using their own charging infrastructure. Depending on operational requirements, customers utilise a combination of overnight slow charging and fast top-up charging.

"One of the most satisfying aspects of this journey has been seeing electric trucks move from being a future concept, to becoming part of everyday transport operations," said Parry. "Every kilometre travelled helps build confidence in the technology and strengthens the business case for broader adoption."

To support fleet operators, Volvo Trucks provides specialised dealer and workshop services for electric vehicles, including real-time battery pack monitoring, dedicated 24/7 roadside assistance and range prediction tools.

Next-generation electric trucks on the horizon

Building on the experience gained to date, Volvo Trucks South Africa is preparing to introduce its next generation of electric trucks later this year. The new models will offer longer operating ranges and additional power options, enabling electric transport solutions to be deployed across an even wider range of applications.

"The trucks currently operating in South Africa are laying an important foundation for what comes next. With increased range and capability on the horizon, we are excited about the opportunities the next generation of electric trucks will bring," explained Parry.

As more fleet operators begin adopting battery-electric transport, Volvo Trucks South Africa views the 250,000 km achievement as an important step in the country's transition towards cleaner commercial mobility.

"While a quarter of a million kilometres is an important milestone, it is what those kilometres represent that matters most: growing customer confidence, valuable operational experience, and a foundation for the next generation of electric transport," said Parry.

Cementation Africa is encouraging mining companies to prioritise underground dewatering during the early stages of mine development, emphasising that proactive planning is essential for managing groundwater inflows efficiently throughout a mine's lifecycle

According to the company, successful dewatering strategies begin during the feasibility phase, where hydrogeological investigations provide critical data on anticipated groundwater volumes. This information forms the basis for designing systems capable of supporting long-term underground operations.

"Hydrogeological studies form part of the mine’s initial feasibility work, with drill holes to understand what volumes the mine is likely to encounter," explained John Goulding, study manager mine engineering at Cementation Africa.

"Cementation Africa, as a leading underground mining contractor, uses this data as the basis for planning a dewatering strategy in a multi-disciplinary engineering process that intersects mine design, shaft infrastructure, power systems and operational logistics."

The company says its approach combines engineering design, construction expertise and operational knowledge to deliver integrated dewatering systems that address the practical challenges encountered in underground mining.

"Our strength lies in our ability to design and execute dewatering solutions across the full project lifecycle - from feasibility through to the operation of pump stations," Goulding said. "This includes the civil, mechanical, electrical and control design aspects that must come together in an underground dewatering system."

By incorporating dewatering requirements at the earliest stages of project planning, mine developers can ensure that pump stations, settling facilities and water storage infrastructure are appropriately located and sized to handle expected groundwater inflows. Early design also allows systems to be configured with sufficient flexibility to accommodate changing mining conditions over time.

Louis du Plessis, project engineer mine engineering at Cementation Africa, noted that the company frequently supports clients during the feasibility stage by providing engineering studies and technical option assessments.

"By conducting studies and technical assessments to guide mines’ decision-making, we can help them determine the most appropriate approach before committing to major infrastructure investments," said Du Plessis.

He added that underground dewatering systems should always be tailored to the specific operating conditions and infrastructure of each mine.

"This means working very closely with our clients, understanding what they need, and designing around that," he said. "This collaborative process leads to engineering solutions aligned with operational realities rather than purely theoretical designs."

The company also highlights the importance of carefully positioning dewatering infrastructure underground. Pump stations must remain accessible for safe maintenance, while pipelines need to be routed through shafts and haulages without interfering with other essential services such as power distribution and mine ventilation.

Despite detailed hydrogeological investigations and modelling, groundwater inflows can remain difficult to predict accurately.

"Even with studies and modelling, there remains considerable uncertainty about the volumes of water that miners will encounter during development and mining," Goulding said. "This makes it vital to design dewatering strategies that can adapt to varying conditions rather than simply operating at a fixed capacity."

To improve operational resilience, dewatering systems can incorporate spare pumping capacity or be designed for future expansion. Flexible configurations also enable water to be transferred between different mining levels as operations extend deeper underground, ensuring efficient groundwater management throughout the life of the mine.

Africa’s ports are facing increasing pressure as infrastructure is required to support larger vessels and growing demand

At the same time, these assets must perform within dynamic coastal environments, increasingly influenced by climate change. The future of the continent’s maritime infrastructure will depend on how well engineering, environmental understanding, and system-level thinking come together.

For Yasmin Kistner, principal associate: maritime, discipline lead: ports, WSP in Africa, the challenge begins with the physical reality of ports.

“Future-ready infrastructure means providing deeper, more robust facilities to accommodate increasing vessel sizes and cargo demand, while also responding to changing climate systems,” she explains.

Yet in South Africa, this is not a blank-slate exercise. Much of the country’s port infrastructure already exists, and that changes the nature of the problem.

“The challenge is working with what is currently there and improving it to make it future-proof, while continuing operations at the same time,” Kistner says. “You cannot simply deepen a channel or expand a basin without considering how that affects the stability of the existing infrastructure. Every intervention has knock-on effects.”

Balancing act

This tension between immediate functionality and long-term resilience plays out in every upgrade, where engineering decisions must balance operational continuity with structural integrity and future capacity.

Ports, however, do not operate in isolation. Their performance depends not only on the infrastructure itself, but on how efficiently cargo moves through the broader logistics system and how the port functions within its coastal environment over time.

“Seaports are critical for connecting South Africa to global trade, but inland dry ports are becoming an increasingly important part of how goods move inland,” says Kistner. “They allow cargo to be stored and distributed away from congested port environments, improving efficiency and reducing pressure on coastal infrastructure.”

As these systems become more interconnected, design must respond not only to operational demands and the capacity of hinterland networks to handle logistics flows, but also to how infrastructure performs within its coastal context over the long-term.

A coastal understanding

For Samantha Fourie, coastal modeller: maritime, WSP in Africa, numerical modelling of coastal processes provides the foundation for understanding how these environments behave before infrastructure is introduced or altered.

“Every project starts with a question, but before you can answer it, you need to understand the current environment,” she explains. “We build what we call a baseline. That means collecting data, measurements, and observations so we can quantify what is happening now before predicting what will change.”

This baseline is fundamental. It is what gives clients, regulators, and stakeholders confidence that decisions are grounded in reality.

“Data is everything,” Fourie says. “Without it, you cannot validate your model or your conclusions. Whether you are looking at coastal erosion, wave behaviour, or water quality, you need to understand the processes at play before you can assess the impact of any intervention.”

A deeper understanding

In practice, this means building detailed environmental models that simulate how coastlines, currents, and infrastructure interact under different scenarios, including long-term change.

“The outputs feed directly into decision-making,” Fourie says. “It comes down to risk, safety, environmental impact, and regulatory requirements. The work does not sit in isolation. It influences whether something gets built, how it gets built, and what safeguards need to be in place.”

The intersection between these two perspectives is where the future of port development is being shaped.

Port and coastal engineering has always considered and will always consider the dynamic coastal environment. The aspect requiring increased consideration is having a thorough understanding of potential long-term changes in the coastal and logistics environment.

Environmental considerations

From a design perspective, Kistner points to incremental yet meaningful shifts already underway.

“We are investigating the use of more environmentally friendly materials, such as alternative concretes in breakwater structures, and designing for future energy systems like shore power,” Kistner says. “This allows vessels to draw electricity while docked, reducing emissions and improving air quality in port cities.”

But sustainability is not limited to materials or energy systems. It is embedded in how infrastructure responds to long-term environmental change.

“Climate change is going to impact coastlines regardless of how we build,” says Fourie. “The role of modelling and engineering is to help infrastructure adapt to those changes, not just respond after the fact.”

Integrated thinking

Looking ahead, Kistner and Fourie both see a shift toward more integrated, system-level planning.

“There is a growing awareness that numerical modelling of coastal processes and engineering need to work more closely together,” Fourie adds. “You need predictive tools to design infrastructure that can adapt over time.”

This integrated approach is already shaping long-term planning at a national and regional level. “Across Africa, many established ports are already undergoing phased expansions and upgrades to accommodate increasing demand and evolving vessel requirements,” says Kistner.

These projects are not only about adding capacity at the coastline. They are increasingly part of wider efforts to improve the movement of cargo across the full logistics network. This includes investment in rail and road corridors, as well as the development of inland terminals and dry ports that can support more efficient distribution.

By moving some activity away from constrained coastal environments, these interventions can help relieve pressure on ports while improving the reliability of trade flows between coastal gateways and inland markets.

Together, these developments point to a broader reality: ports are no longer standalone assets. They are critical nodes in a connected system of trade, infrastructure, and environmental dynamics.

Africa’s maritime future will depend on how well that system is understood, planned, and managed. “We are not just building for today,” Kistner says. “We are building infrastructure that must remain functional and resilient decades into the future.”

For Fourie, that future carries a more personal dimension. “It becomes quite personal when you think about it,” she says. “You want to protect coastlines, support sustainable development, and ensure that future generations can experience these environments in the same way we have.”

There is no single solution. The path forward lies in combining sound engineering with a clear understanding of environmental processes, while supporting efficient and sustainable port operations. “In a system with a limited tolerance for error, that level of integration is essential,” concludes Kistner.

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Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has announced the financial close of the US$753mn Lobito Corridor Railway Project in Angola

It marks a major milestone for one of Africa's largest and most strategic cross-border transport infrastructure developments.

The project will fund the rehabilitation, upgrade and long-term operation of a 1,300-kilometre rail corridor linking the Port of Lobito on Angola's Atlantic coast with the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The railway is expected to improve regional connectivity, facilitate trade and strengthen access to international markets for a variety of mineral deposits out of the DRC.

"The financial close of the Lobito Corridor Railway Project underscores AFC's leadership in delivering complex transformational infrastructure that advances Africa's industrialisation and regional integration,” said AFC’s president and CEO Samaila Zubairu.

“As one of the continent's most strategic transport corridors, the project will strengthen regional connectivity, facilitate trade and unlock new opportunities for economic growth across Angola and the wider region.”

AFC acted as co-financial adviser alongside Eaglestone, helping to structure and mobilise financing for Lobito Atlantic Railway S.A. (LAR), the concessionaire responsible for the project.

LAR is a joint venture between construction firm Mota-Engil and commodities trader Trafigura.

The financing package includes US$553mn from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and US$200mn from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), following financing agreements signed late last year.

Eaglestone founding partner Nuno Gil described the agreement as “the culmination of years of work and a defining moment for infrastructure finance in sub-Saharan Africa.”

He also said the deal demonstrated that “complex, multi-lender, cross-border project financings can be structured and successfully closed on the continent.”

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Arridex has officially commissioned its Omnifactory in Lagos, marking the launch of West Africa’s first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility

The commissioning ceremony was led by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos state, and brought together senior government representatives, industry stakeholders, members of the diplomatic community and investment delegates participating in the Invest Lagos 3.0 forum.

The Invest Lagos delegation featured participants from the forum’s panel discussion on The Future of Technology and Innovation, where Kayode Adeleke, group CEO of Arridex, highlighted the importance of technology and innovation in advancing Africa’s industrialisation. His insights were shaped by Arridex’s operational experience across sectors including oil and gas, maritime, aerospace, defence, construction and manufacturing.

The Arridex Omnifactory brings together several additive manufacturing technologies within one facility, including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Cold Spray, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). The facility enables the production of industrial components, spare parts and enhanced part designs for critical industries, while its large-format manufacturing capabilities support the creation of full-scale marine components and other large industrial structures.

The commissioning of the Omnifactory represents the transformation of two decades of accumulated expertise into a dedicated industrial manufacturing platform. Arridex commenced operations in 2005 as an asset integrity company serving Nigeria’s oil and gas industry before expanding its capabilities into maritime, defence, construction, technology and aerospace sectors. The company has achieved zero lost-time incidents across more than seven million operational man hours.

The next chapter of global manufacturing can be written from Lagos

For Nigeria and West Africa, the Arridex Omnifactory addresses long-standing challenges associated with dependence on imported industrial components. Companies operating ageing infrastructure have often faced extended procurement timelines, complex international supply chains and the growing challenge of sourcing legacy parts from manufacturers that may no longer exist. Through the Omnifactory, Arridex will enable these components to be manufactured on demand within Lagos.

Arridex has received Pioneer Status in additive manufacturing from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). The company is also the first organisation qualified by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for additive manufacturing deployment in the oil and gas sector. In addition, its joint venture partnership with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) supports the local production of military-grade additive manufactured components.

Further strengthening its position in the global additive manufacturing ecosystem, Arridex is the first African member of the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA). The company is also a Designated Strategic Partner of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), with Kayode Adeleke serving on the CWEIC Global Advisory Council.

"Today, I opened West Africa's first multi-technology industrial additive manufacturing facility in Lagos. By producing industrial components and spare parts here in Lagos, Arridex is helping to reduce our dependence on imports, strengthening critical industries and supporting economic growth," commented Sanwo-Olu.

"I commend the Arridex team for their vision and commitment to building solutions that serve not only Nigeria but the wider African continent. Lagos will continue to support investments that create opportunities, grow local capacity and position our state as a hub for innovation and industry."

“We did not set out to build the biggest company, but a resilient one. For over two decades, we have chosen the harder path, and that is to make in Africa what others import, to meet global standards without exception, and to put purpose before profit. The Arridex Omnifactory is where that conviction becomes infrastructure. The name on the door is new, but the work behind it is not. We are not stopping here. By the first quarter of 2027, we will commission the Arridex Mega Omnifactory, which will stand among the largest single-site industrial additive manufacturing facilities in the world. The next chapter of global manufacturing can be written from Lagos. We are building it.” concluded Adeleke.