MechChem Africa December 2019/January 2020

Sasol award for ACTOM Turbo Machines

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. The Integrated energy and chemical company is OEM-reliant in terms of service backup and parts supply, according to Anton Hamman, Sasol’s principal specialist for sourcingmechanicalequipment.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 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 this work to the correct standard every time, and understand the associated risks.” Safety awareness was a critical aspect of the service. The 36 MW machines in Sasol’s oxygen plant, for instance, are large and very heavy. This makes them difficult and poten- tially dangerous to work on. “ACTOMTurboMachines has demonstrat- ed its awareness of the hazards involved and rigorouslyappliesalltheproceduresnecessary toensurenoonegetsinjuredandthatthework gets done as per agreed schedules,” Hamman says. “On turbomachines, we look for the best skills in the country and globally, and this is what ACTOMTurboMachines offers.” ACTOM Turbo Machines has a long-term service agreement with the Sasol group, in- cluding Sasol Secunda, Sasol Sasolburg, Sasol Mining and Natref. The agreement is to providemaintenance on a periodic basis at all these sites. At Sasol Secunda’s oxygen plant, the company has a permanent presence of 40 personnel to at- tend to all 16 of the plant’s oxygen trains. q

Petrochemical giant Sasol has recognised ACTOM Turbo Machines with one of its top 2019 awards for exceptional service in repair, refurbishment and ongoing maintenance.

G race Nndwammbi, Sasol’s se- nior vice-president: supply chain, presented ACTOM Turbo Ma- chines’ managing director Chris Bezuidenhout with the award in the Top Performing Service Supplier: Large Enterprises category at Sasol’s head office in Sandton. Bezuidenhout commendedACTOMTurbo Machines’ maintenance and refurbishment

teams on the achievement, and said the company was honoured to have received the award. “It signifies recognition of the highest order, whichwe greatly value and cherish,” he said. “Itmarks an importantmilestone for us in our ongoingdrive toprovide thebest possible service to industry.” A division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd, ACTOM

From left: Leon Greeff, Sasol’s senior manager, oxygen electrical & instrumentation; Anton Hamman congratulates Chris Bezuidenhout on receiving the prestigious Sasol award; Mervyn Naidoo, ACTOM’s Group CEO, and Nicholas Mokgosi, Sasol’s senior manager E,C & I sourcing, category management.

14 ¦ MechChem Africa • December 2019-January 2020