Building on the core, proven capabilities of previous Colorado models, the key features of the Canon Colorado M-series – its modularity, white ink capability, in-field upgradability and scalable speed configuration – have enabled customers who have installed the printer to substantially expand the range of applications they can offer. With over 700 installations globally since the device launched 12 months ago, Print Service Providers (PSPs) are recognising the value the Colorado M-series with UVgel technology can bring to their business.

Significantly more application options

The Colorado M-series includes a new hassle-free, white ink option, which helps to expand the range of applications users can offer. Using UVgel technology, a unique ‘print-then-cure’ technology with instant-dry gel inks cured with UV LED lights, the M-series delivers prints that eliminate smudging or sticking concerns with sharp details and scratch resistance. The UVgel inks now offer an even wider colour gamut than before and can print bright colours for an array of premium graphics and décor options, from wallpaper to window graphics as well as labels and more specialist applications like car wrapping. With the new white ink addition and the new media detection sensor technology for easy media handling, Colorado M-series users can expand their typical product offering and print on heavy, structured, transparent, coloured, reflective and magnetic materials.

With FLXfinish+ technology, users can print with gloss and matte, separately or at the same time, and without the need for varnish or an extra print channel, making the M-series ideal for printing luxury applications with special effects such as high-end wallpapers.

Customer success

FaberExposize, a printing company based in Amsterdam, was one of the first beta customers for the Colorado M-series to experience the new capabilities the printer brings to produce complex jobs, meaning they no longer have to outsource any printing needs. Richard Meijer, Production Manager at FaberExposize says, “The Colorado M-series has exceeded our expectations in terms of meeting our customers’ demands for 3- and 5-layer printing, printing in white and on magnetic media. The scratch resistance and ink adhesion are top-notch, and we’ve experienced zero nozzle clogging. This printer with UVgel technology truly delivers on its promises.”

One feature of the Colorado M-series that has particularly impressed FaberExposize is its ability to print on magnetic media, which is often used in retail for interchangeable price tags. The fact the printer can handle 0.3mm and 0.5mm magnetic media is, in Meijer’s opinion, “a rare feature” that gives them a competitive advantage.

Norwegian sign and printing company, Sign Production, have also found the Colorado M-series to be the perfect solution for the large volumes of small jobs they now receive. They require a printer that doesn’t compromise on quality, makes it simple for operators to change rolls, is easy to operate and capable of printing at high speed, so they can process a lot of orders throughout the day.

Thomas Fjeldberg CEO at Sign Production says, “One of the key aspects of the Colorado M-series that really sets it apart from the competition is the durability of the UVgel inks – it’s very hard to damage the ink, so you don’t need to use a laminate. For high-value applications like car wrapping, the quality of the print is really important, so it’s great to see how well the Colorado performs. I would say the quality is one of the best aspects of the Colorado M-series as it’s able to meet the expectations of end users who are going to spend a lot of money on these applications.”

Hassle-free white ink offers more possibilities

Zenith Graphics, a company based in Belgium, produces decals for use on buildings, machinery and vehicles. The benefits of the new white ink have become clear as customers can now have white ink applications printed on the Colorado M-series with the same exceptional Colorado results that they expect. With the white ink, they can now also fulfil requests to print on black film and offer a greater image variety as the white ink expands the colour gamut.

Kurt Persoons co-owner at Zenith Graphics comments, “Customers expect very high quality from us, both in terms of the image and the durability of the product we deliver. The Colorado guarantees us a beautiful product with a high quality that will last a very long time. I honestly think that our operators are Canon’s best ambassadors. When we ask them which printer they like to work with, they invariably mention the Colorado.”

Jennifer Kolloczek, Senior Director, Marketing&Innovation, Production Print, Canon EMEA, comments, “Since its launch a year ago, the Colorado M-series has taken the wide-format printer market by storm, with its exceptional quality, reliability and modularity allowing it to scale with customer’s businesses. The  hassle-free UVgel white ink option offers brighter colours on an array of substrates and has vastly opened up the application range addressable by Colorado users – from premium graphics to décor such as wallpaper and window graphics – with the same Colorado quality and finish that our customers expect.”

The Colorado M-series is a scalable wide-format printer with in-field upgradability

Part of the already successful Canon Colorado family, the new Colorado M-series has significant features that provide customers with more choice and allow them to scale the printer as needed with a number of hardware and software options. The M-series offers a choice of output speeds, Colorado M3 or M5 (with maximum print speeds of 111m²/hr and 159m²/hr respectively), with the option to upgrade from one speed to the other either temporarily for production peaks or permanently. Both printers can also be easily upgraded with the white ink option to M3W and M5W models, with FLXfinish+ matte/gloss print technology, double-sided and print-side-in printing as well as a kit for magnetic media.

For more information on the Colorado M-series, visit: https://apo-opa.co/3V3U0bh

For more information on Canon’s UVgel technology, visit: https://apo-opa.co/44HeDhN

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

Media enquiries, please contact: 
Canon Central and North Africa
Mai Youssef
e. Mai.youssef@canon-me.com

APO Group – PR Agency
Rania ElRafie
e. Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.com

About Canon Central and North Africa: 
Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2016 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region – by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus. CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.
Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.
Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei (http://apo-opa.co/3SvVhrS) – ‘living and working together for the common good’. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services. At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.
For more information: Canon-CNA.com

South Africa plans to add 14,500 MW of nuclear capacity by 2050 under its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan – currently in the draft stage. At the same time, the country targets over 7,000 MW of natural gas capacity as it moves to address persistent power supply challenges.

A panel discussion at the second annual Invest in African Energy Forum – organized by Energy Capital&Power – in Paris unpacked opportunities across both the country and broader region’s energy sector. Speakers highlighted untapped opportunities in nuclear, mineral development and natural gas, advocating for a diversified energy mix to support economic growth.

Paul Eardley-Taylor, Head of Oil and Gas Coverage Southern Africa at Standard Bank, drew insight into recent milestones across the regional energy market, spotlighting Mozambique’s offshore gas projects, Namibia’s string of oil and gas discoveries and Zimbabwe’s onshore gas exploration. Given the energy crisis in South Africa, these initiatives stand to support energy security through regional trade.

“Since 2022, Namibia has made 11 discoveries. The big announcement was made by Galp [this year], which announced 10 billion barrels of oil in place at the Mopane well. There is a scenario where Namibia has about 8 billion barrels of oil recoverable. This is good news for South Africa in that the Orange Basin – where these discoveries were made – extends to the country,” Eardley-Taylor stated.

Diversification of the energy mix and the utilization of critical minerals were further explored by the panelists. Dr. Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, advocated for nuclear power as a clean transitional energy source. Dr. León noted, “Africa’s priority is to energize. This is why we are trying to explain why nuclear can be a true contributor [to supply]. Nuclear energy is the only carbon-free energy resource that can produce electricity and heat at the same time.”

Dr. León highlighted some of the challenges associated with nuclear development. She underscored the substantial infrastructure requirements of nuclear projects, with construction times spanning ten years but providing energy supply for the next century.

She asked: “The real question is not how much does it cost to invest in energy but how much does it cost not to invest in energy.”

Building on Dr. León’s remarks, Calib Cassim, Chief Financial Officer of Eskom, discussed South Africa’s plans to increase nuclear power capacity by an additional 2,500 MW between the period 2031 and 2035. Faced with an energy crisis, South Africa is exploring diversification options for its power supply. In addition to nuclear, Cassim stressed the need for transition fuels such as natural gas, stating “While we move to renewables, we need some transition fuels. Gas is critical and part of our mix going forward. We will invest 3,000 MW in Richard’s Bay gas. You can’t industrialize without power; we need to come together and stabilize the economy.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

Multinational energy company Chevron has joined the Angola Oil&Gas (AOG) 2024 conference (https://apo-opa.co/3UF9Rg5) – Angola’s premier oil and gas event, scheduled for 2-3 October in Luanda – as a platinum sponsor. The company has been active in Angola for over 70 years, and with stakes in various strategic oil and gas projects, remains committed to increasing production and sustainable oil and gas development for the long-term.

Chevron currently holds a 26% market share in Angola. The company has interests in offshore Blocks 0 and 14 – boasting a daily production capacity of 70,000 barrels of liquids and 259 million cubic feet of natural gas – as well as a non-operated interest in the Angola LNG project – the country’s pioneer LNG facility. Angola LNG processes natural gas from offshore fields and celebrated its 400th cargo delivery in 2023. During the AOG 2024 conference, Chevron is expected to provide insight into the company’s current project portfolio while unpacking new investments in low-carbon projects.  

Organized by Energy Capital&Power. AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the African Energy Chamber; and the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute, the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

With interests in several deepwater blocks, Chevron’s expertise in such acreage is expected to support production growth in Angola. In 2023, the company – through its Angolan subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited (CABGOC) – signed a Production Sharing Agreement to manage operations within the Block 14/23 concession area, situated in the Zone of Common Interest shared by Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s maritime territory. Under the agreement – inked with the governments of both countries – CABGOC will act as the operator of the concession, holding a 31% stake in the block.

Chevron’s initiatives in Angola extend to infrastructure projects such as the Sanha Lean Gas Connection Project (SLGC) – valued at $300 million. This endeavor – which reached FID in 2021 – involves the development of a platform that ties into the existing Sanha Condensate complex, as well as new pipelines connecting Block 0 and Block 14 to Angola LNG. The SLGC project is vital for Chevron as it addresses a projected supply gap at the Angola LNG facility. Through collaboration with service companies, Chevron demonstrates its commitment to advancing energy infrastructure in Angola and supporting the growth of the nation’s oil and gas sector, while upholding operational excellence and environmental sustainability.

Meanwhile, Chevron is spearheading low-carbon oil and gas solutions in Angola. CABGOC signed an MoU with the government last October to explore low carbon business opportunities. The company’s goal is to utilize nature-based and technological carbon offsets, as well as lower-carbon intensity biofuels like hydrogen, to enhance Angola’s energy production in conjunction with oil and gas initiatives. Additionally, Chevron and the Angolan government intend to assess various projects related to carbon capture and storage, alongside the establishment of a regional center of excellence aimed at attracting lower carbon investments.

Under the theme Driving Exploration and Development Towards Increased Production in Angola, AOG 2024 will explore innovative approaches, cultivate collaboration among industry players and showcase technological advancements aimed at boosting exploration and development activities. As Chevron consolidates its presence in Angola’s oil and gas sector, its sponsorship of the AOG 2024 conference highlights a commitment to supporting initiatives that pave the way for growth in the country’s oil and gas industry.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

President Macron praises the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) for its catalytical role; Access to clean cooking is about more than cooking, it is about dignity, says Adesina; Tanzania’s President Suluhu calls for generous replenishment of African Development Fund to guarantee resources for clean cooking for Africa’s low-income countries.

The African Development Bank Group pledged $2 billion over 10 years towards clean cooking solutions in Africa—a major step along the road to saving the lives of 600,000 mainly women and children each year.

Speaking at a landmark summit on Clean Cooking in Africa held yesterday in Paris, the Bank Group’s President Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said the institution would now commit 20 per cent of all its financing of energy projects towards promoting safe alternatives to cooking with charcoal, wood and biomass.

Receiving heads of state and government, and leaders of international organizations at the Elysee Palace to discuss the outcomes of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron, praised the African Development Bank’s leading role and commitment to delivering clean cooking in Africa. The summit resulted in $2.2 billion pledges from the public and private sectors.  

“As part of the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, and with the commitment of Tanzania, Norway, the International Energy Agency, the African Development Bank, and many other partners, we are taking a step forward against this silent scourge today. We are mobilizing $2.2 billion to provide clean alternatives to populations in Africa,” Macron said (https://apo-opa.co/3V34UiD). “France pledges to invest €100 million over five years in clean cooking methods and will mobilize even more through the Paris Pact for People and the Planet and Finance in Common.”

Addressing the summit plenary yesterday, the African Development Bank President noted that in Africa a staggering 1.2 billion people lack access to clean cooking facilities.

The Summit was cochaired by United Republic of Tanzania President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, and the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency Dr. Fatih Birol.

In his passionate address, Adesina declared that it was time to end the sight of African women and girls, backs bent bearing heavy loads, walking kilometres each day, often with a lack of security just to cook daily family meals. He noted that the tools for enabling clean cooking access are readily available and affordable but had not been sufficiently prioritised.

“As a result over 10 years, six million people, mainly women, will die prematurely. That is not acceptable,” he told the summit attended by some 20 African heads of state and government, representatives of all leading international organisations and global businesses.

“Access to clean cooking is about more than cooking, it is about dignity… It is more than about lighting a stove, it is about life itself. It is about fairness, justice and equity for women,” Adesina said, recalling how as a youth he had damaged his own eyesight blowing into smoking wooden fires and how a friend had died in a kerosene-related explosion.

Worldwide, the lack of access to clean cooking affects over two billion people—more than half of whom are in Africa, typically cooking over open fires and basic stoves. Using charcoal, wood, agricultural waste, and animal dung as fuel, they inhale harmful toxic fumes and smoke with dire consequences for health.

It is the second leading cause of premature death in Africa. Opportunities for education, employment and independence are also severely impacted because women instead spend hours each day foraging for rudimentary fuels.

“This momentous summit on clean cooking in Africa is the largest ever gathering of leaders and policy makers dedicated to confronting the issue of access to clean cooking in Africa. We can fix it,” Adesina added. “There is nothing improved in continued suffering. No woman in Africa should have to cook again with firewood, charcoal or biomass. It is time to restore dignity to women who cook in Africa.”

The Bank’s pledge of $200 million per year represents an important contribution to the $4 billion per year needed to allow African families to have access to clean cooking by 2030.

In addition to its dramatic toll on human lives, the lack of clean cooking facilities is one of the main causes of deforestation in Africa.

International Energy Agency figures show that globally 200 million hectares of forest, 110 million of them in Africa, were at risk because of the climatic effects of cooking with charcoal, biomass, and wood. “Providing access to clean cooking is not only right, fair and just—it is also the globally responsible thing to do,” Adesina said in his address to the Summit plenary session.

Adesina hailed the event in which close to 60 countries took part, with over 1,000 delegates in attendance, as a major turning point on an issue which had gone too long unaddressed.

He added that commitments announced at the summit go beyond the money alone—they set out concrete steps on how governments, institutions and the private sector can work together to solve the clean cooking challenge this decade.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania told the gathering that successfully advancing the clean cooking agenda in Africa would contribute towards protecting the environment, climate, health, and ensuring gender equality.

“This summit underscores our commitment to advancing this agenda and providing a framework towards universal adoption of clean cooking fuels and technologies across the continent,” she said.

President Suluhu launched during COP28 a national program to solve this challenge in Tanzania, and in other parts of Africa, with the African Women Clean Cooking Support Program.

She made a strong call to the global community to ensure a bold replenishment of the next three-year cycle of the African Development Bank Group’s concessional window, the African Development Fund. “To guarantee resources for clean cooking, this summit has to call for a generous next replenishment of the African Development Fund that includes $12 billion for clean cooking,” President Suluhu urged.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway said: “Improving access to clean cooking is about improving health outcomes, reducing emissions, and creating opportunities for economic growth. With today’s summit, we have mobilized much needed support, and built a diverse partnership that together can make a real difference. Norway is a steadfast supporter of clean cooking, and I was pleased to announce today that we are committed to investing approximately $50 million in this important cause.”

“This summit has delivered an emphatic commitment to an issue that has been ignored by too many people, for too long. We still have a long way to go, but the outcome of this summit, $2.2 billion committed, can help support fundamental rights such as health, gender equality and education while also reducing emissions and restoring forests,” IEA Executive Director Birol declared.

Birol said the IEA would build on the summit’s achievements by continuing to play a convening role to engage more willing partners and generate new funds to help meet the $4 billion a year in capital investments required between now and 2030. Reaching this level of funding would enable the world to deploy the stoves and fuel delivery infrastructure needed to reach universal access to clean cooking in sub-Saharan Africa.

Within this context, Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jannik Jørgensen praised the African Development Bank’s initiative to establish a dedicated clean cooking sub-program under the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).

Established in 2011, SEFA is a multi-donor Special Fund managed which provides catalytic finance to unlock private sector investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. It offers technical assistance and concessional finance instruments to remove market barriers, build a more robust pipeline of projects and improve the risk-return profile of individual investments.

The African Development Bank has been a key advocate for clean cooking access in Africa. In July 2023, it published with the International Energy Agency a comprehensive report on clean cooking solutions (https://apo-opa.co/3ymLUTc).

At COP28, the African Development Bank hosted a round table on clean cooking during which it committed to allocating 20% of its annual energy lending towards clean cooking, generating $2 billion over the next decade. The Bank also supported Tanzania’s clean cooking initiative, which focuses on improving women’s access to clean cooking solutions, launched by President Samia Suluhu Hassan at COP28.

Asia—led by China and India in the lead—and Latin America have for the most part, succeeded in resolving the issue over the last 20 years. However, today in Benin, Ethiopia, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania… more than 80 per cent of the population still depends on biomass to cook their meals. In Nigeria, Kenya or Ghana, the figure is 70 per cent.

Dr Adesina’s speech (https://apo-opa.co/3V4A5tX)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Jonathan Clayton
Communication and External Relations Department 
media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 34 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org