Innovation, ingenuity and a sense of community within the steel construction industry were showcased on the evening of 13 October, when participants across the local steel value chain gathered to attend the highlight of the annual steel industry calendar – the 2022 Steel Awards, presented by the Southern African Institute for Steel Construction (SAISC).
The annual SAISC Steel Awards provide an opportunity for stakeholders across the industry - including engineers, fabricators, designers, architects, processors, merchants and fabricators - to present their work and be honoured for their outstanding achievements. The evening - known in the steel sector as the ‘Oscars of the steel industry’.
Local ingenuity and commendable perseverance
SAISC CEO Amanuel Gebremeskel explains: “Even before the global pandemic, South Africa’s steel industry had gone through a period of severe challenges. The ‘green shoots’ theme is an acknowledgement of the importance of continuing to navigate through troubled times.”
Gebremeskel explains that many steel construction projects globally were stalled during the Covid pandemic, and yet members of the South African steel industry managed to drive projects through to completion.
“A number of high-quality, truly excellent projects have been showcased at this year’s annual Steel Awards, and I believe this is a testimony to our character as a nation - as well as the value which the SAISC brings to the local steel construction industry. The SAISC is one of only 6 steel institutes around the world, and has a long history as a ‘steel sector sage’: a custodian of technical knowledge, an educational resource and a trusted authority.”
Mining category ‘gem’ shines as overall Awards winner
“While there is tremendous merit across all of our entrants, as well as all our category winners,” enthuses Gebremeskel, “the SAISC Annual Awards judges were unanimous in their praise of our overall winner - which was also the winner of the Mining category - the Benguela General Treatment Plant mining facility, aboard the ‘Benguela Gem’, the world’s most advanced diamond recovery vessel. The Benguela Gem is owned by Debmarine Namibia, a 50/50 joint venture between De Beers Group and the government of the Republic of Namibia.”
The Benguela Gem is the product of international collaboration: designed in Norway and Poland, built in Romania and fitted out by De Beers Marine South Africa. Diamond recovery by Debmarine Namibia takes place at 90 to 150 metres below sea level. The exceptional design, fabrication and installation of the 3000 ton diamond treatment plant on the vessel was carried out ahead of schedule by local engineers and fabricators in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
Gebremeskel advises: “This project stood out in a number of different ways, and presented a first in the history of the Steel Awards: it operates off-shore, and is floating rather than being stationary and anchored - a truly distinctive applicant within the Awards categories. As a sea-faring structure, it is furthermore subject to unusual engineering loads from a naval engineering perspective.
The vessel, built for De Beers Marine operations, is unique in Africa, being able to carry out the entire under-sea diamond dredging and treatment process.
The treatment plant was nominated by designers PBA Projects and completed in collaboration with De Beers Marine and 3C Metal Belmet, Namibia and local fabricators Steel Services and Allied Industries.
