Construction World June 2017

Lifting solar power contractors up Johnson Crane Hire has an established reputation for handling small lifting on a wide range of construction and utility projects sites. This skill and experience has resulted in the company securing a number of contracts from solar power projects, especially in the Northern Cape region.

Tim Davidson, a director of JG Afrika.

professional teams. This bodes very well for sustainable energy for the country and the larger region,” Davis says. One of JG Afrika’s strengths in the market is the range and depth of its technical service offering. This has positioned it as a single point of contact for all engineering services associated with the development of these power stations. Meanwhile, the firm has also succeeded in gaining a significant head-start in the maturing waste-to-gas market, following its extensive involvement in the first large-scale waste-to-energy plant in Africa that started operating in Athlone, Western Cape, earlier this year. JG Afrika was part of the team that comprised project initiators and developers, Clean Energy Africa and New Horizons Energy, as well as Fountain Civil Engineering, the engineer, procure and construct contractor. The firm was involved in site-development planning, traffic and transportation, as well as the civil and structural contract and design elements of the project. In addition, JG Afrika was tasked with the integration of certain designs, with environmental and building plans, plus essential stormwater and effluent- management planning, while serving as the lead consultant in the mechanical, electrical, IT, ventilation and fire teams, as well as for architectural and building plan approvals. Participation in this project has also bolstered the engineering and environmental firm’s capabilities in biomass projects, definitely a highlight of this next round of

Commenting on this Peter Yaman, sales executive at Johnson Crane Hire, says that it is the ready access to a range of mobile cranes that positions the company well to undertake lifting in remote regions such as this. Johnson Crane Hire has an established branch in Kathu and while servicing the min- ing sector it can support the lifting require- ments of the solar power contractors. “The power of dealing with the largest privately owned mobile crane rental company in Africa is that through our vast branch network, we are always able to draw additional resources from other branches, should this become necessary,” Yaman says. “Planning of lifting activities is one of our strengths and we dovetail the lifting with the individual construction programmes so as to ensure optimum productivity for the the REIPPP that will also help the country optimise the use of its vast forestry and sawmilling residues. Examples of these biomass projects are those using wood-waste to produce electricity, or other forms of energy, and JG Afrika has already engaged with Scandinavian investors and developers of such technology. Both Davis and Davidson are extremely proud of their involvement in helping South Africa secure a sustainable future that is in line with the growing international “green” consciousness, as well as JG Afrika’s own ethos regarding infrastructure development on the continent. 

individual solar power contractors.” Lifting the components, including the imported sections which make up the composite panel structures, needs to be done with care. This is where pre-planning and the use of skilled and experienced operators plays a major role. Johnson Crane Hire has a team of highly skilled and trained operators. Not only are the operators well versed in the actual operation of the cranes, but they are also completely familiarised with the application on the solar power farms. “We differentiate ourselves by providing all customers throughout South Africa and neighbouring countries with a total lifting solution delivered through our ‘SMART’ – Safety, Maintenance, Availability, Reliability and Total Cost Effectiveness – brand promise,” Yaman says. Safety underpins all Johnson Crane Hire operations, with comprehensively documented and implemented safety systems that comply with all industry safety standards and thorough risk assessments conducted before each lift. There is also a primary focus on proper crane maintenance at all branches, supported by the company’s national workshop in Johannesburg. Comprehensive workshop facilities, tech- nical expertise and superior systems have earned Johnson Crane Hire the reputation of owning the most well maintained lifting equipment in Africa, and Yaman says this could be the primary reason why solar pow- er contractors are favouring the company when it comes to lifting. 

15

CONSTRUCTION WORLD JUNE 2017