Transformer manufacturer Powertech Transformers (PTT) announced on Tuesday that it had, on February 3, officially opened a small power transformer facility in Pretoria West, specially designed and built to improve the movement of each transformer through the manufacturing process, resulting in shorter production lead times.

The transformer sizes manufactured at the facility would range from between 20 MVA 132 kV and 60 MVA 132 kV.

The 80%-owned Powertech subsidiary said in a statement that construction of the facility began 18 months ago and was carried out in two phases, the first of which involved buying and upgrading vertical winding machines and the excavation of the existing factory space.

The second phase comprised the installation of additional equipment as well as the reorganisation of the existing fabrication area to enable the tank fabrication to match the assembly area.

The facility, which was locally designed and manufactured, would double the Small Power Transformer capacity from 2 200 MVA to 4 400 MVA, which equated to 120 transformers a year.

PTT’s total revised factory capacity, inclusive of medium power transformers and large power transformers, was 13 680 MVA/y.

CEO Bernard Meyer said the investment confirmed the group’s confidence in South Africa’s manufacturing sector.

“We have nearly doubled our capacity in this market sector in anticipation of a potential R250-million increase in the export market. The new facility is also perfectly timed with new growth opportunities in the renewable-energy and rail market sectors.

“Lastly, and most importantly, we have created additional employment opportunities for skilled, semiskilled and professional young talent,” he commented.

PTT supplied a full range of transformers, from generator step-up to transmission and distribution transformers across its three factories.

The range included three-phase and single-phase units, autotransformers, arc-furnaces, locomotive and traction transformers, miniature substations and shunt reactors.