US battery manufacturer EnerSys announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to launch a joint venture in Germany to produce large format lithium-ion battery cells.

EnerSys will have a majority interest in the joint venture in cooperation with GAIA Akkumulatorenwerke GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lithium Technology Corporation (LTC).

US-based high-tech component manufacturer Atmel is to acquire ADD Semiconductor, a privately held company based in Zaragoza, Spain that develops power line communication solutions.

Atmel Corporation is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, advanced logic, mixed-signal, non-volatile memory and radio frequency (RF) components.

DHL Global Forwarding has established three new direct connections between Germany and the African continent.

Transit times for less than container load (LCL) shipments on the three new lanes between Bremen and Tema (Ghana), Cape Town (South Africa) and Mombasa (Kenya) will be shortened by five to six days.

Tronox Incorporated and Exxaro Resources Limited today announced a definitive agreement under which Tronox will acquire Exxaro's mineral sands operations in exchange for a 38.5 per cent equity stake in Tronox.

Exxaro is a South African-based resources group with a variety of interests, including iron ore and coal. Its mineral sands operations produce the key titanium bearing ore feedstock used in the production of titanium dioxide pigment - an inorganic white pigment used in paint, coatings, plastics, paper and many other everyday products.

Chevron Energy Solutions and the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) Albany are today celebrating completion of the Department of the Navy's first landfill gas cogeneration plant.

The southwest Georgia plant produces 1.9 megawatts of renewable electric power and steam by burning landfill gas collected from a nearby landfill. Chevron Energy Solutions also completed industrial lighting retrofits in 82 buildings and expanded the existing energy management control system.

Ireland’s Kerry Group has confirmed agreement to acquire the global flavours business of the US-based multinational Cargill.

Kerry, a Dublin-based ingredients, flavours and consumer foods group, will acquire Cargill Flavor Systems for around $230 million (approximately €171 million).

The deal comes following Kerry’s announcement in July that it was in exclusive discussions to acquire the Cargill unit.

General Dynamics is set to acquire Metro Machine Corp, a US surface-ship repair company that supports the US Navy fleet in Norfolk, Virginia.

The transaction is subject to normal regulatory approvals and is expected to close in November. The value of the cash transaction has not been disclosed, however.

Metro Machine Corp. is a privately held company employing approximately 400 people. It has been conducting US Navy ship repair and conversions since 1972.

SABMiller has agreed to acquire Australia’s Foster's Group for approximately A$9.9 billion (£6.5 billion).

London, UK-based SABMiller said the acquisition is consistent with its strategic priorities and will provide it with exposure to Australia's strong economic growth prospects, as well as cementing its position in the Australian beer industry.

Melbourne-based Foster’s is Australia’s biggest brewer; and acquiring it will give SABMiller access to roughly half of the Australian beer market.

Ireland’s PetroNeft Resources has announced the discovery of an additional oil field within its licence at North Varyakhskaya, Russia.

The field is the seventh to be discovered in Licence 61, which is situated at Tomsk Oblast in south-western Siberia.

Tungolsky Licence 61, acquired by the company in May 2005, is located on the east side of the Ob River in the least explored oil-bearing region in the area. The licence covers 4,991 square kilometres.

Proven plus probable reserves within the licence area are estimated to be 83 million barrels.