The use of drone technology and rapid-response capabilities are among the factors that earned engineering company Steinmüller Africa top industry honours at Eskom's Duvha Power Station awards. The company claimed Key Service Provider in Maintenance 2025 and Best CSI Contribution Team at the station's annual supplier recognition programme.
Steinmüller Africa's Duvha team celebrates its wins in Eskom's Duvha Power Station supplier awards.
The maintenance award caps a landmark year in which Steinmüller Africa completed South Africa's first three-unit simultaneous shutdown in over a decade, a logistical and technical feat that has set a new benchmark for large-scale maintenance execution.
The accolade recognises operational breakthroughs that directly impact plant availability and cost control. Steinmüller Africa deployed drone technology to eliminate high-risk manual inspections and built a rapid mobilisation model that turns typically multi-day emergency repairs into same-day solutions.
"Our team handles tube-leak repairs within hours rather than days," said Thomas Maduna, Project Manager at Steinmüller Africa Duvha Power Station. "We plan, resource and execute under intense time pressure and we maintain quality standards that don't slip, even on repetitive work. This award validates our approach that's delivering measurable results for our clients."
The maintenance shutdown saw three generating units serviced concurrently, which required precise coordination across trades; it meant compressed timelines and zero tolerance for safety compromises.
Steinmüller Africa’s introduction of the Elios 3 drone for inspections of furnaces and confined-spaces has also been transformative in the maintenance programme. Such inspections previously required the use of sky climbers, which are expensive, time-consuming and dangerous. The drone eliminated the need to put personnel into high-risk situations, delivered instant data reporting and reduced inspection times and costs. Safety incidents dropped, downtime was reduced, and operational expenses were lower.
Maduna adds that presence matters. "Leadership was on the ground throughout the maintenance execution, unblocking issues in real time and recognising excellence as it happened. That drove performance."
The company's zero-harm philosophy is embedded through daily toolbox talks and the ‘My Brother's Keeper’ safety initiative, supported by incentives for consistently safe behaviours.
Beyond the plant fence, Steinmüller Africa's Best CSI Contribution award reflects sustained community investment. The company made donations to more than seven schools and community centres in 2025 – in the form of a vehicle for CMR Witbank, for instance, a fully equipped kitchen for Mmagobana Primary School's feeding scheme, and the distribution of blankets, groceries and toiletries.
Teachers report the kitchen has improved meal quality for pupils, and the vehicle is enabling better administrative support at CMR Witbank. This is particularly significant as most of the people in Steinmüller Africa's workforce come from these communities.
In industrial maintenance, excellence is not only about compliance, it’s about speed, safety and commercial impact.
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