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Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

The world's third-largest brewer, Heineken NV, is in talks to build a barley-malting plant at its new brewery in South Africa. A deal is expected soon.

Heineken's director for business and legal affairs, Peralt van der Merwe, said that the company was negotiating with "a major corporation" to build the facility. He declined to name the party.

The brewery, in which global drinks maker Diageo plc has a 25 percent stake, is due for completion later this year.

The malting plant's capacity would be about 40 000 tons a year.

The brewery would have an initial capacity of 3-million hectolitres, which could later be expanded to 6-million hectolitres.

The Rea Vaya bus rapid transport system project manager Bob Stanway said that the 1,6-billion-rand phase 1A of the BRT system would now be operational by August 30.

The City of Johannesburg was forced to revise its June 14 starting date of a major portion of phase 1A, in time for the FIFA Confederations Cup, as disgruntled taxi drivers and operators in March staged violent protests against the implementation of the BRT system.

The BRT system will transport commuters in buses using dedicated lanes and buses, with purpose-built stations every 750 metres.

Also making headlines:

An Etihad Airways engine deal eclipses Airbus and Boeing at the Paris air show.
Ghana's finance chief says the country's economic outlook is improving.
South Africa's first bail-out packages may emerge this week.
And, the Germans plan a 555-billion-dollar African solar project.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit engineeringnews.co.za.