Multinational Danish engineering company, Danfoss, is celebrating its 30th anniversary of working in South Africa, marking three decades of growth and expansion in the region. Founded in 1933 by Danish engineer Mads Clausen, Danfoss has evolved into a global enterprise employing over 42 000 people worldwide. In South Africa, following several strategic acquisitions, the company has recently focused on integrating its local presence with the aim of leveraging its operations in the country to drive further expansion in Africa.
From left: Roy Naidoo (Danfoss South Africa), Ziad Al Bawaliz, Emil Berning, Shikantha Naidoo (Danfoss South Africa).
Danfoss offers a range of energy solutions and expertise, with a strong commitment to energy efficiency and decarbonisation. The company's portfolio includes solutions for reducing power consumption, minimising food loss and waste, improving cooling and heating systems, optimising wastewater treatment, and enhancing mining productivity. Danfoss has embraced an ‘energy efficiency first’ principle and is actively working towards achieving carbon neutrality in its global operations by 2030. In South Africa, it aims to be the preferred partner for decarbonisation initiatives.
"To mark 30 years of pioneering sustainable growth together, and looking forward to going from strength to strength, locally and on the continent, we marked this anniversary with a local celebration for our partners, customers and colleagues, where we honoured local traditions within the ongoing priority of ‘engineering South Africa’s tomorrow’," said Emil Berning, Country Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa.
This mission aligns with the company’s core values of increasing machine productivity, reducing emissions, lowering energy consumption, and promoting electrification. In celebrating this milestone, Danfoss reaffirmed its commitment to continued growth and innovation in South Africa and across the continent.
Danfoss solutions find application in various industries, including refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, power conversion, motor control, industrial machinery, automotive, marine, and off- and on-highway equipment. The company also provides solutions for renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, as well as district-energy infrastructure for cities.
Ziad Al Bawaliz, Regional President for Turkey, Middle East and Africa, highlighted the importance of engineering in driving society forward and addressing key global challenges such as urbanisation, climate change, food and water supply, digitalisation and electrification.
Looking specifically at energy efficiency, Berning said: “The greenest energy is the energy we do not use. There are opportunities today for rapid energy efficiency gains in all sectors of the global economy, most of which involve readily available technologies. In addition, these solutions offer a fast return on investment based on lower running costs, particularly in light of today’s rising energy prices.”
Al Bawaliz added: “A strong focus on waste heat recovery, for instance, is playing a valuable role in energy efficiency and energy saving and is something that can be embraced by organisations in Africa too. Although there may not be the same type of district heating infrastructure more common in parts of Europe, there are opportunities to use heat recovery locally.”
He said heat could also be sold on, and it doesn’t have to be on the same scale as a district heating system. “For example, a local supermarket could use heat extracted for other nearby shops, perhaps in a strip mall, or for neighbouring residences. A small retail store could generate enough heat to be used by more than 14 nearby houses – this has been demonstrated in a real-life case that Danfoss facilitated in Denmark.”
Berning highlighted further: “Any organisation with its own data centre would also have the opportunity to recover heat generated. The racks and rows of servers in a data centre produce heat, and the cooling equipment needed can also generate significant heat. Globally, we have real climate targets to meet, in line with the Paris Agreement’s goals to avoid dangerous climate change and limit global warming. Heat recovery can be part of the solution, enabling organisations to work in a smarter, more cost-effective way.”
For more information visit: www.danfoss.com
