Connect with us

Business

Canon Launches the New imagePROGRAF TC-20, a Compact Large Format Desktop A1+ Printer

Published

on

Canon

It supports printing 100 A4 sheets or 50 A3 sheets of plain paper continuously, or roll paper of up to A1+ sizes for printing of construction, design, survey drawings and point of sale materials

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, January 4, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Today Canon Europe has launched the new imagePROGRAF TC-20 large format desktop printer. This printer is targeted towards the ultra-low volume market, which includes Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) offices, educational settings and the hospitality industry – delivering high quality, detailed drawings from A4 to A1+ paper sizes. Its easy-to-use design, new 70ml four colour (BK/C/M/Y) pigment ink bottles, that simplify maintenance of the printer, and its super slim compact body with standard built-in Auto Sheet Feeder (ASF), make it ideal for small or temporary office spaces as well as for hybrid workers who may be working from home.

Canon’s new imagePROGRAF TC-20 is a compact desktop large format printer that can be conveniently placed on a desk or shelf in an office or at home. It supports printing 100 A4 sheets or 50 A3 sheets of plain paper continuously, or roll paper of up to A1+ sizes for printing of construction, design, survey drawings and point of sale materials. It comes with a simple, easy-to-use and free software solution, Direct Print Plus, that ensures superior print quality on par with the higher end models in the imagePROGRAF series – and is also compatible with other imagePROGRAF models.

Jennifer Kolloczek, European Planning, Marketing & Innovation Senior Director, Production Print at Canon Europe comments, “Ways of working have rapidly changed in the last few years, as many have adopted a hybrid style of working – with people splitting their time between the office and their homes. Diversification of places and ways of working has led to the spread of distributed operations in multiple workplaces and as a result, there is a growing need for entry level large format printers – especially when transitioning between central, remote and home offices.”

“With its compact design, the new imagePROGRAF TC-20 is the ideal choice for modern working as it can easily fit in small spaces, without compromising on print quality. It also comes with job submission software which is compatible with other imagePROGRAF models and supports hybrid working, making printing easy when transitioning between the office and home. Its convenient design provides easy user maintenance, and it can deliver detailed drawings for AEC, educational and hospitality industries – helping businesses become future-proofed with agile and responsive solutions.”

Large format printing in small spaces

The TC-20’s space-saving design is ideal for home workers with large format printing needs. Its super slim compact body can be placed on a desk or shelf, and its design allows for all print-related operations, such as loading paper and ink refilling, to be easily accessed at the front. For users unfamiliar with large format printers, the roll of paper is designed to be easy to install. Unlike many other large format printers, the roll holder is shaftless which makes it easy to install the roll paper, especially in small spaces. Users can very simply insert and lock the roll holders on two sides.

Using the free “PosterArtist [1]” web application, users can create posters and flyers with ease. This is ideal for hospitality settings such as restaurants and retail stores where they might produce posters and menus and are often very short on space. “PosterArtist” offers a large variety of templates that enable users to create materials to suit their needs, with changeable text and images, making it easy for people unfamiliar with design to create original designs.

Superior output every time for A1+ to A4 paper sizes

Like the higher-end models in the imagePROGRAF series, it comes with free software, Direct Print Plus, which allows users to check the layout of multiple files in different file formats, such as PDF, JPEG and TIFF. Providing previews on screen, designs can be printed directly without launching each dedicated application. By simply selecting the paper source within Direct Print Plus or an alternative printer driver, users can switch between roll paper and cut sheets and easily print output in a variety of sizes including A4, A3 and A1+. The standard built-in Auto Sheet Feeder (ASF) can also continuously print A3 or A4 size paper.

With its compact design, the new imagePROGRAF TC-20 is the ideal choice for modern working as it can easily fit in small spaces, without compromising on print quality

All four inks are colour pigment inks, used to achieve superior quality and vivid colours, with the ability to output high-definition drawings at home or other remote locations with the same ease of use as when at the office. By using only pigment inks, thin lines and small characters in drawings can be clearly reproduced, achieving high-quality characters and lines. When viewing printed drawings outdoors, the use of pigment inks also makes print outs more robust.

Monitor consumables with smartphone

The imagePROGRAF TC-20 is equipped with a large ink tank that enables continuous printing and uses 70ml ink bottles for all four colours (BK/C/M/Y) to reduce the frequency and effort of refilling ink. Using the Canon Print Inkjet/SELPHY [2] app, users can check the remaining amount of roll paper and ink on a smartphone, enabling quick responses to any required paper change or ink refill, as well as the ability to update firmware to keep the printer up to date.

The ink bottles have been designed to prevent errors when refilling the ink thanks to a different shaped bottle for each colour and the relevant colour being displayed at the inlet of each bottle. In addition, the ink bottles have been designed for easy installation— simply inserting them into the tank inlet will start injecting the ink, and when a certain level is reached, the injection will automatically stop. There is also a mechanism that helps prevent ink spills, allowing users to refill ink without any mishaps.

By using the “PIXMA Cloud Link” feature from this app, printing documents filed or stored in the cloud is also possible. For example, a drawing created at a design office and stored in the cloud can be printed from a smartphone at a temporary construction site and shared with field personnel.

Designed with sustainability in mind

The imagePROGRAF TC-20 helps contribute to sustainability goals by offering lower power consumption – 28W or less when in operation. It also includes reduced packaging materials as well as easy-to-recycle ink bottles. Due to its environmental benefits, including the fact that it uses recycled plastic within its design, the imagePROGRAF TC-20 has also been rated as a ‘Gold’ product, the highest level of registration in the field of imaging equipment products, under the U.S. EPEAT [3] environmental assessment system.

To find out more about the Canon imagePROGRAF TC-20 series, please click here: https://bit.ly/3GhO6eY 


[1] Compatible with Windows/mac OS. Canon ID creation required.

[2] Separate download required (free)

[3] EPEAT Gold registered in the U.S., EPEAT is the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool. An environmental assessment system established by GEC (the Green Electronics Council), a U.S. NPO, for the purpose of developing and promoting the market for environmentally friendly products.

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

Business

African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 Technical Sessions Put Technology Behind Africa’s Next Energy Projects in Focus

Published

on

Day 2 technical sessions at African Energy Week 2026 will examine frontier exploration, major gas developments, project economics and the technologies supporting Africa’s expanding oil, gas and LNG sectors

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 22, 2026/APO Group/ –African Energy Week (AEW) 2026’s Day 2 Technical Stages will put the technology and technical expertise behind Africa’s next wave of energy projects in focus, with sessions covering subsurface interpretation, deepwater exploration, gas development, project economics, digitalization, offshore operations and infrastructure.

 




  

The program will unfold across two exhibition-hall stages, with the Drill Room focusing on practical applications across exploration, gas development, offshore operations and LNG, while the Innovation Hub will examine frontier exploration, energy markets, digital technologies and infrastructure. Together, the sessions connect project-level technologies with the wider investment and development challenges facing Africa’s energy industry.

The day opens with GeoEnergy Petroleum Director Maged Fahim, who will examine how legacy and newly acquired subsurface datasets can be integrated with modern technologies to identify additional upstream opportunities. TGS Principal Exploration Advisor Felicia Winter will then focus on Angola’s deepwater basins, examining how modern seismic acquisition and imaging can be used to reinterpret existing data and evaluate frontier plays.

The discussions come as Angola seeks to build on renewed offshore activity. TotalEnergies announced in September that it plans to invest $10 billion in Angola over the next five years, including in exploration, while advancing its $6 billion Kaminho deepwater development.

Gas development will take center stage through two presentations by TotalEnergies. Alexandre Depiesse, GPI Venus, will address appraisal strategies and commercial viability for Orange Basin discoveries, while Mozambique LNG Operations and Project Director Nicolas Cambefort will examine development and optimisation of the Rovuma Basin gas resources. Mozambique LNG, a 13.1-million-ton-per-year project in Area 1 led by TotalEnergies, resumed activities in January 2026 following the lifting of force majeure, putting development of Mozambique’s major offshore gas resources back into focus.

AEW 2026 reflects the practical challenges facing Africa’s energy industry as projects move from resource potential toward development and production

The Republic of Congo National Showcase will provide another perspective on Africa’s expanding LNG industry. The country’s Congo LNG project reached a new stage in February 2026 with the start of commercial production from its second phase. The addition of the Nguya FLNG unit brought total liquefaction capacity to 3 million tons per year, expanding Congo’s ability to monetize its offshore gas resources.

The program will then broaden from individual projects to the continent-wide investment outlook with the launch of The State of African Energy 2027. AEC Senior Vice President Verner Ayukegba and S&P Global Energy Executive Director Max Pietzsch will present the outlook, covering upstream oil and gas, LNG, downstream markets, power, renewables and critical minerals against changing demand, trade flows and energy security requirements.

Project decision-making will remain under examination as S&P Global Energy Technical Research Analyst Tasnika Goorhoo presents “From Limited Data to Better Decisions: How Benchmarking Strengthens Upstream Project Outcomes.” The session will examine how comparative project data can help operators assess performance, costs and development outcomes.

NOV Vice President Mats Anderson will address offshore optimization through high-speed downhole connectivity and real-time distributed measurements, examining how faster access to downhole information can improve operational visibility and decision-making.

Infrastructure will also feature prominently, with Kenyon International West Africa CEO Victor Ekpenyong examining asset integrity and pipeline infrastructure through the company’s CACTUS and FlexSteel technologies. Honeywell Technologies Africa will close the technology-focused sessions with its end-to-end LNG offering, while SLB, InSwitch, the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone and PETROSEN will bring additional perspectives on technology, digitalization and energy services.

“AEW 2026 reflects the practical challenges facing Africa’s energy industry as projects move from resource potential toward development and production,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. “From subsurface interpretation and deepwater exploration to LNG development, project benchmarking, digitalization and infrastructure, these technical sessions highlight the expertise and technologies needed to develop Africa’s resources efficiently and create lasting value across the energy value chain.”

AEW 2026 takes place from October 12–16 in Cape Town, bringing together governments, investors, operators and technology providers to discuss investment, project development and the future of Africa’s energy sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 




 

Continue Reading

Business

Rising power costs put energy strategy at the centre of industrial competitiveness

Published

on

C&I Energy + Storage Summit Johannesburg to focus on the procurement, cost and investment decisions facing South Africa’s large energy users

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 22, 2026/APO Group/ –The cost of electricity is no longer only an energy issue for South African businesses. It is increasingly a question of competitiveness, investment and long-term operational resilience.

Recent figures show the pressure on large power users. Business Day reported on 7 September that South Africa’s mining and industrial majors paid Eskom R115 billion for electricity in the 2025/26 financial year. According to Eskom’s annual report, industrial electricity demand fell by more than 22% over the same period as high power costs weighed on energy-intensive operations.

 




  

At the same time, major businesses are moving to alternative supply. Reuters reported on 26 August that South African mining companies are accelerating investment in renewable energy to cut costs, diversify supply and meet decarbonisation targets.

For commercial and industrial energy users, the question is no longer simply how to secure power. It is how to buy it, what to invest in, and which energy strategy makes the strongest commercial sense.

Energy procurement is becoming more complex

Businesses are now weighing several procurement options at once. Should they sign a long-term PPA? Buy through an electricity trader? Wheel renewable power across the grid? Invest in behind-the-meter generation? Add battery storage? Each option carries different implications for cost, risk, contracting and long-term flexibility.

These decisions will take centre stage at the C&I Energy + Storage Summit Johannesburg, taking place on 28–29 October 2026 at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton. The programme is built around the practical challenges facing energy buyers today, with a focus on real projects, commercial models and implementation rather than technology in isolation.

A programme built around the buyer’s decisions

The summit closes with the C&I Decision Clinic: Ask the Experts, a masterclass where attendees submit real project challenges in advance and receive practical, anonymised responses from experts. Questions on the table include whether to build onsite PV or sign a wheeled PPA, how much battery storage makes commercial sense, what a bankable project preparation pack should contain, and what financiers require before term sheet stage.

It follows The C&I Energy Playbook: Five decisions business leaders need to make now, a closing panel in which the moderators of key summit sessions distil the programme into the priorities C&I businesses should act on.

Other sessions address the questions buyers are asking now:

  • Energy storage beyond backup power: unlocking commercial value examines peak shaving, demand charge management, energy arbitrage and hybrid PV-plus-storage business models, along with the operational realities of dispatch, degradation and warranties.
  • Making public-private engagement work for you unpacks how wheeling agreements are structured in practice, where interface risks arise, and how businesses can engage utilities and municipalities early.
  • Reducing energy costs without building new generation is a case-study-led workshop on energy efficiency, operational optimisation, demand response and digital energy management.
  • Projects Spotlight gives energy users the floor to share the strategies they have implemented, the lessons learned and the outcomes achieved.

The programme opens with the keynote panel Threats and opportunities in South Africa’s industrial future, bringing together policymakers, industrial leaders, financiers, and energy and water experts.

Bringing energy buyers into the conversation

The summit’s Hosted Buyer Programme is designed for qualified end-user energy buyers across sectors including mining, manufacturing, property, agriculture and other energy-intensive industries. Hosted buyers take part in the full programme and receive curated engagement with solution providers across energy procurement, storage deployment and project development.

Four events, one venue

The summit is co-located with the EIUG Conference, Water Security Africa and the Data Centre Summit, bringing the energy, water and digital infrastructure communities together in Sandton. It is brought to you by Enlit Africa, with ESI Africa as host media, and is accredited by the SAIEE.

Qualified commercial and industrial energy users can apply for the Hosted Buyer Programme at https://apo-opa.co/4yPnXOg, and bring their project questions to the Decision Clinic.

Full programme: https://apo-opa.co/4xK2ANv

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

Continue Reading

Events

Beyond the carbon credit: Who sets the terms for Africa’s carbon markets?

Published

on

From project ownership and verification to pricing and benefit-sharing, CMAS 2026 will bring African market leaders and global decision-makers together to examine who creates and captures value

KIGALI, Rwanda, September 22, 2026/APO Group/ –A carbon credit may be traded as a single unit, but its value is shaped long before it reaches a buyer. Decisions about project ownership, finance, data, verification and benefit-sharing determine who participates, who carries the risk and who ultimately benefits. As new regulations and international partnerships expand market access, these questions are becoming increasingly important across Africa.

 




 
 

They will be central to the Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS) 2026, taking place from 13 to 15 October at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda. The summit will convene African governments, project developers, investors, buyers and technical experts involved in decisions across the carbon-market value chain.

Countries are approaching these decisions from different regulatory, economic and environmental positions. While recent developments in East Africa demonstrate growing market activity, questions concerning international requirements, technical capacity, investment and benefit-sharing are relevant across Africa.

Ousmane Fall SARR, Coordinator of the West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance, says:

“African countries are developing carbon markets from different starting points. Stronger African expertise and regional cooperation will be important if the continent is to contribute to the standards and market practices that determine how its projects compete, attract investment and create value.”

Against this continental backdrop, East Africa provides a timely example of how the market is developing. In January 2026, Rwanda and Singapore invited applications for carbon-credit projects under their bilateral Implementation Agreement, aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Credits from authorised projects may be used by eligible Singapore-based carbon tax-liable companies to offset up to 5% of their taxable emissions, subject to both governments’ requirements.

African countries are developing carbon markets from different starting points

Across the continent, carbon market frameworks are rapidly taking shape. Kenya and Uganda are strengthening regulatory oversight, regional partnerships are helping governments build market capacity and infrastructure, and South Africa is advancing reforms to modernise its carbon-credit ecosystem and attract investment. Together, these developments are bringing greater focus to questions of authorisation, project ownership, verification, pricing and access to international buyers, while also raising expectations that carbon finance should deliver sustainable economic and development value beyond the credit itself.

Emmanuelle Nicholls, Portfolio Director for CMAS, says:

“A carbon credit may be the final product, but behind it are decisions about ownership, data, risk, pricing and who ultimately benefits. The conversations in Kigali will examine what credible participation looks like across the full carbon-market value chain.”

These decisions have consequences beyond individual transactions. Carbon finance is increasingly connected to conservation, agriculture, soil restoration, food security, clean energy and waste management. Its success will therefore also be judged by whether projects produce credible environmental outcomes and lasting benefits for African economies and communities.

A practical example comes from the Chinko Conservation Area in the Central African Republic, where revenue from the Chinko Carbon Project is channelled through a community fund that supports locally selected initiatives, including the expansion of a medical centre in Agoumar. At CMAS 2026, African Parks and Welthungerhilfe, both Bronze Sponsors, will share perspectives on how carbon finance can support conservation, climate resilience, food systems and community development, while highlighting broader questions around project governance, impact and the distribution of value.

From project-level impact to market-wide structures, these questions will underpin discussions at CMAS 2026. The programme will address government authorisation, buyer requirements, pricing and offtake, investment risk, early-stage finance, registries and African measurement, reporting and verification capacity. It will connect the question of who sets the terms with the practical requirements for building credible, investment-ready projects and transactions.

CMAS 2026 is hosted by the Ministry of Environment of Rwanda, with UNDP and the African Development Bank as host organisations, the Development Bank of Southern Africa as host partner and AUDA-NEPAD as strategic institutional partner.

Taking place ahead of COP31, CMAS will focus attention on the decisions behind every carbon credit and what they mean for African governments, projects, investors and communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version