Industrial boilers and energy solutions manufacturer John Thompson has secured an order from a major industrial company in Indonesia for a 320 t/h bagasse-fired boiler, marking the manufacturer’s fourth order from the Indonesian client in recent months.

The boiler is the largest industrial water tube boiler ever built at John Thompson’s Cape Town facility.

John Thompson business development manager Quintus Engelbrecht says the continued confidence shown by the client reflects the strength of the partnership and the company’s proven capability in delivering large-scale, high-performance boiler technology.

“We are extremely proud as South Africans to be entrusted with building one of the largest industrial boilers of its kind anywhere in the world. This order is a tremendous milestone for John Thompson and a clear endorsement of our technology, our quality and our commitment to our customers,” he says.

Intentional Build
The boiler will support the second phase of what is set to become the “world’s largest greenfield sugar mill development”, which is designed to process up to 40 000 t of cane a day across two crushing lines, says John Thompson.

Owing to the plant’s remote location and its scale, the project requires robust engineering, advanced combustion technology and high efficiency performance, which John Thompson is “equipped to provide through its extensive specialised expertise”.

“Very few companies globally have the in-house engineering capability to design and manufacture a boiler of this magnitude. Most competitors rely on licensed designs, but our technology is entirely our own,” Engelbrecht explains.

He adds that the bespoke boiler has been engineered using advanced computational fluid dynamics to optimise combustion, heat transfer and overall efficiency.

Energy Island
The plant will operate as a fully self-sufficient energy island by generating its own electricity from bagasse, which is the fibrous by-product of sugar cane.

Excess power will also be supplied to nearby communities, offsetting diesel generation and supporting Indonesia’s broader sustainability and energy security goals.

“This project is designed to be as efficient and environmentally responsible as possible. It will contribute meaningfully to Indonesia’s sugar supply while also generating green energy for the region,” Engelbrecht notes.

The order also brings substantial benefits to South Africa’s manufacturing sector.

“These large-scale projects keep our heavy engineering factory running and support jobs across our supply chain,” says Engelbrecht.

He elaborates that projects of this scale enable the company to train young artisans, sustain local industry and demonstrate that South African engineering can compete with, and even outperform, low-cost international manufacturers.

As the project advances, John Thompson expects the partnership to deepen. Aligned to this, the company will provide long-term service support, extended warranties and ongoing maintenance expertise to ensure optimal performance over the plant’s lifetime.

“We don’t just deliver equipment and walk away. Our commitment is long term, and this project is likely just the beginning of a broader collaboration,” Engelbrecht concludes.