The South African electricity generation landscape is becoming more diversified in the sense that new generation capacity is being brought on stream by independent power producers.

However, this generation capacity needs to be connected to State-owned Eskom and municipal transmission and distribution infrastructure – a space in which electro-mechanical original-equipment manufacturer ACTOM High Voltage Equipment plays a significant role through providing the required products, equipment and services.

The same applies where large power users – such as mines and other industries – are building generation plants for self-use, the company explains.

It adds that the location of these plants requires that the power be transmitted and/or wheeled either through Eskom’s or the municipality’s infrastructure and ACTOM High Voltage Equipment provides the required products and services.

The division provides locally manufactured (up to 132 kV) reliable and quality products into the electricity transmission and distribution industry to ensure reliable and stable electricity supply to various consumers across the spectrum. The division is supported by a team of technically trained and qualified group of technicians and artisans.

It is within this rapidly changing landscape that Eskom’s Transmission Development Plan (TDP) provides visibility of upcoming projects so that the required infrastructure can integrate all the new generation capacity, set at about 30 GW as per the Integrated Resource Plan 2019, as well as provide the infrastructure for the distribution of embedded generation for large power users.

“This information provides us as a business visibility towards the required equipment demand for our factories and also the associated services and those of our partners in our value chain, which has been very depressed due the lack of infrastructure spending for the past two to three years,” explains ACTOM High Voltage Equipment divisional CEO Casbah Zwane.

The technology roadmap that underpins the TDP supports the division’s product development strategies and investments towards the required resources, to position itself for upcoming opportunities, he adds.

Further, Zwane says that the ACTOM division recently undertook various non-intrusive maintenance projects specifically on the HV gas insulated switchgear where digital x-ray services are used to diagnose equipment defects.

“This service and other condition monitoring services that we have introduced support our customers to embark on condition-based maintenance strategies, which provides them with better insights on the various pieces of equipment within their networks where there are growing concerns over equipment failures, plant and personnel safety and the increasing pressure to achieve high plant availability in the current environment where we find ourselves as a country,” Zwane comments, referring to loadshedding.

Supported by international partners, ACTOM High Voltage Equipment recently introduced power quality products and services, which Zwane says are meant for addressing transient voltages, harmonic distortion, power factor correction, and other issues that may affect power system reliability and quality.

The division’s offering also includes, among others, instrument transformers, circuit breakers and disconnectors, as well as installation and commissioning services, and aftersales support.