BLIMP MAY SAVE US$ 7 BILLION FOR RIO TINTO

After 20 years of development, Lockheed Martin and Hybrid Enterprises are poised to unleash a revolutionary new design that could unlock resources worth billions of dollars across the African continent.

The Hybrid Airship is a helium-powered craft (blimp) that can cover thousands of kilometers in a single journey, with a top speed of 60 knots. The craft can take off and land without a runway, and the cavernous interior can carry loads of 20 tons.

At the recent African Mining Indaba event in Cape Town, the Airship was presented as a vital asset for mining companies across the continent. Using the tag "No roads, No problem," promoters emphasized its ability to access remote but lucrative mineral sources.

Robert S. Stewart, head of mining firm Interop AG, has researched the ship's potential impact on projects across the continent, including the largest -- Rio Tinto's putative $20 billion iron ore plant in Simandou, Guinea.

"The airship could save the project $7 billion by staging it in a completely different way," he says.