Per Almer, Siyabonga Gama and Richard Seleke
Photo by: Duane Daws
Rail technology provider Bombardier Transportation on Thursday inaugurated a new 6 000 m2 production site and headquarters in Isando.
The facility will produce Bombardier Mitrac high-power propulsion equipment for use in the Transnet locomotives project, for which Bombardier is delivering 240 Bombardier Traxx Africa locomotives.
The site, which was marked as the first propulsion site in Africa, will also be home to a testing centre for high-power traction converters and electrical cubicles and will become the headquarters for Bombardier Transportation in South Africa in October.
One locomotive set comprises one traction converter and six different cubicles. Cubicle production had already started in August last year, with the first delivery to Transnet carried out in January.
By June, the facility had started with the transfer of production of the traction convertors.
Speaking at the event, Bombardier Africa, Europe and Middle East regional president Per Almer said the facility was proof of the company’s commitment to localise its production. “We believe we can achieve at least 60% localisation and that's a new best. I think we are going to get even higher as we move forward.”
Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama lauded the initiative, noting that it was yet another boost for local manufacturing. “It serves as just one example of the many transactions Transnet has entered into to drive localisation, transformation, empowerment and supplier development in the country.”
In a copy of a speech distributed at the event, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown urged the private sector to follow suit and open “many more” facilities of this nature.
“It is only then that we, as a country, will be able to contribute towards growing our economy to sustainable levels. Transnet’s successful partnership with Bombardier ought to position our country as a regional hub for further development and growth so that we can expand our businesses into the rest of the African continent,” she noted.
Almost 100 direct jobs have been created since the inception of the Traxx Africa programme, more than 40% going to women. Bombardier is further partnering with technical colleges for recruitment of its talent, implementing an internal training programme to multiskill its employees.
Also speaking at the event, Public Enterprises Department director-general Richard Seleke highlighted that the locomotive programme would ultimately lead to improved road traffic, as rail freight would remove the need for the trucking of coal and other commodities.
He added that Transnet and Bombardier had already exceeded their target of 60% localisation. “I can confirm that Transnet will become the leading original-equipment manufacturer of locomotives in South Africa,” he said.