Petrochemical giant Sasol has recognised ACTOM Turbo Machines with one of its top 2019 awards for exceptional service in repair, refurbishment and ongoing maintenance.
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Grace Nndwammbi, Sasol’s senior vice-president: supply chain, presented ACTOM Turbo Machines’ managing director Chris Bezuidenhout with the award in the Top Performing Service Supplier: Large Enterprises category at Sasol’s head office in Sandton.
Bezuidenhout commended ACTOM Turbo 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, which we greatly value and cherish,” he said. “It marks an important milestone for us in our ongoing drive to provide the best possible service to industry.”
A division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd, 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.
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 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 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 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 no one gets injured and that the work gets done as per agreed schedules,” Hamman says. “On turbo machines, we look for the best skills in the country and globally, and this is what ACTOM Turbo Machines offers.”
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 these 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.
