Power and distribution transformer designer and manufacturer Powertech Transformers, a subsidiary of the JSE-listed Allied Electronics Corporation, has re- established itself as the only South African manufacturer designing, building and testing arc furnace transformers locally, through a R42-million project for inorganic mineral and material mining company Tronox Mineral Sands.
The project entailed producing two arc furnace transformers of 60 MVA, 33 kV and 33 kA for the company’s Namakwa Sands mine in the Western Cape.
Powertech CEO Bernard Meyer states that currently there are no other local suppliers with the capabilities to design, build or even test arc furnace transformers, which are used in industrial plants where large quantities of electricity are required to run a plant’s furnaces.
Meyer asserts that the Namakwa Sands project represents an important milestone in the company’s endeavours to capture new markets, adding that Powertech is re-entering the arc furnace market and has convincingly advanced in terms of technology and pricing.
The R42-million manufacturing mandate enabled Powertech Transformers to reaffirm its competency in arc furnace transformers and enhance its product offering.
“We are proud to be contributing significantly, not only to job creation, but also in ensuring the continuance of local innovation through the South African manufacture of market-relevant technology and products,” he adds.
Meyer concludes that the company is a proudly South African innovator, firmly in support of the National Development Plan 2030’s initiative to grow the manufacturing base within South Africa’s borders.