Company Announcement - The Zest WEG Group’s EnI Electrical, one of Africa’s largest electrical construction companies, has secured a major contract from Swakop Uranium at its Husab project in Namibia. The professional team includes international engineering and project management company AMEC and Tenova Bateman. “As the Zest WEG Group we are able to make projects work and blend our expertise to provide total solutions for our clients,” Trevor Naude, EnI Electrical, Managing Director, says. “While the Zest WEG Group is well known for distributing one of the largest electric motor ranges in the world from WEG of Brazil, our comprehensive product line up includes switchgear, variable speed drives, motor control centres, gensets and renewable energy solutions. We also have three fully fledged manufacturing facilities in South Africa that we are in the process of expanding as we increase our footprint in Africa,” Louis Meiring, CEO, Zest WEG Group, says.

EnI Electrical’s scope of work is the medium voltage and high voltage infrastructure up to the MCC incomers. “We will construct 33 kV overhead power lines and install and commission all MV and HV switchgear. Our scope of work also encompasses installation of the free issue MV transformers and the installation and commissioning of all distribution transformers, in addition to all the related cabling and racking work.” The one year contract commenced in August 2014 and is scheduled for completion in August 2015. The transformers have been supplied by group company Zest Energy, while EnI Electrical will install, integrate and commission them. “Strategically we are positioning ourselves as the electrical infrastructure construction company of the Zest WEG Group, specifically focusing on overhead lines and wooden pole construction up to 66 kV, designed and built to the highest standards,” Naude says.

“When I joined EnI Electrical we were solely an electrical and instrumentation control company. We have now taken this business to a whole new level whereby we can cater for the HV portion of a project up to 275 kV. That experience resides in Zest Energy and is one of the reasons why the Zest WEG Group is so successful at providing total solutions to meet a variety of customer requirements.” Naude adds: “This is an acquisition market. Many companies are being acquired, whereupon they boast that they are now integrated and working together, but this is rarely the case. On the other hand we have proven that our group philosophy and culture in the Zest WEG Group lends itself to such synergised solutions and value addition.” The Husab contract award represents the growing importance of the African mining industry as key local manufacturers and suppliers such as the Zest WEG Group venture further afield on the continent.

“The prevailing economic climate in South Africa almost means it is a no brainer to want to work in Africa. However, it is the combination of our flexibility with our experience and knowledge base that has allowed us to increase our percentage of Africa revenue over the traditional South African base. The entry barrier in Africa is massive overall. The companies that start afresh either over price work and thus do not get the orders, or they under price work and then burn their fingers. The Zest WEG Group has managed to identify and mitigate these two extremes due to our experience of working in Africa,” Naude comments.

Mining operations at Swakop Uranium’s Husab project, earmarked to be the world’s second largest uranium mine once in full production, commenced in the first quarter of 2014. Electricity from the NamPower grid was connected on 3 February through a 17 MVA mobile substation.  The Husab mine site will have up to 50 MVA by year end through a permanent substation.

HUSAB CONTRACT AWARD PIC 01: Trevor Naude is Managing Director of the Zest WEG Group’s EnI Electrical, one of the largest electrical construction companies in Africa.

HUSAB CONTRACT AWARD PIC 02: EnI Electrical is the electrical infrastructure construction company of the Zest WEG Group, focusing on overhead lines and wooden pole construction up to 66 kV, designed and built to the highest standards.