Electricity and Control January 2020

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR : PRODUCT NEWS

Top performing services supplier in turbo machines Petrochemical giant Sasol recognised ACTOM Turbo Machines as one of its Top Performing Services Suppliers – in the Large Enterprises category – at the end of 2019. The award was presented to ACTOM Turbo Machines for its exceptional service in repair, refurbishment and ongoing maintenance.

recognition of the highest order, which we greatly value. It marks an important milestone for us in our ongoing drive to provide the best possible service to industry.” Bezuidenhout commended the company’smaintenance and refurbishment teams on the achievement. ACTOM Turbo Machines has a long-term service agreement with the Sasol group, including Sasol Secunda, Sasol Sasolburg, Sasol Mining and Natref. The agreement is to provide maintenance on a periodic basis at all the sites. At Sasol Secunda’s oxygen plant, the company has a permanent presence of 40 personnel to attend to all 16 of the plant’s oxygen trains.

It was presented by Grace Nndwammbi, Sasol’s Senior Vice-President Supply Chain, to ACTOM Turbo Machines’ Managing Director, Chris Bezuidenhout, at Sasol’s head office in Sandton. ACTOM Turbo Machines is the only large non-OEM business in its service category to win the award to date. Since its inception six years ago, it has become the largest non-OEM turbo-machinery and high-speed rotating equipment service provider in sub-Saharan Africa. Sasol is very OEM-reliant in terms of service backup and parts supply, according to Anton Hamman, Sasol’s principal specialist sourcing mechanical equipment. Nonetheless, ACTOM Turbo Machines has proved itself in service provision for turbo machines, where critical and complex skills are required. “We view turbo machines as the heart of our operations, so it is absolutely essential that the service provider has all the critical skills needed to ensure that the equipment is maintained to OEM specification,” Hamman says. “If you use a non-OEM company for this work, you must be certain they have the required skills and competencies to perform the work to the correct standard every time and understand the associated risks.” Hamman highlights that safety awareness is a critical aspect of the service. The 36 MW machines in Sasol’s oxygen plant, for instance, are extremely big and heavy. This makes them difficult and potentially dangerous to work on. “ACTOM Turbo Machines has demonstrated its awareness of the hazards involved and rigorously applies all the procedures necessary to ensure that no one gets injured and that the work gets done as per agreed schedules,” he says. “On turbo machines, we look for the best skills in the country and globally, and this is what ACTOM Turbo Machines offers.” Bezuidenhout says ACTOM Turbo Machines was honoured to have received the award. “For us, it signifies

For more information contact Marthinusen & Coutts: www.mandc.co.za

Anton Hamman (second from left), from Sasol congratulates Chris Bezuidenhout of ACTOM Turbo Machines, on receiving the prestigious Sasol award. From left are: Leon Greeff, Sasol’s Senior Manager, Oxygen Electrical & Instrumentation; Mervyn Naidoo, ACTOM’s Group CEO; and Nicholas Mokgosi, Sasol’s Senior Manager E,C & I Sourcing, Category Management.

Electricity + Control

JANUARY 2020

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