Name of the Project
Struandale engine plant.

Location
Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Ford Motor Company.

Project Description
The project entails the introduction of a third engine programme at Ford’s Struandale engine plant, which supports the production of the new 3.0 ℓ V6 turbodiesel engine that will be used in the next-generation Ranger.

The extensive changes to this assembly line enables the plant to run a flexible format, as it produces the new 3.0 ℓ V6 turbodiesel engine alongside the Duratorq TDCi engines. There are 40 stations on the line that are common to both engines, with a further 25 stations unique to the 3.0 ℓ V6.

The plant has an initial installed capacity of 21 000 units of the 3.0 ℓ V6 turbodiesel engine a year, with production having started in August 2022. The combined installed capacity for this line is 130 000 engines a year, although it has been designed to allow for the split between the two engine programmes to be adjusted, based on future demand.

In addition to the assembly operations, the Struandale engine plant is also responsible for machining the cylinder heads for the 3.0 ℓ V6 diesel engine.

The assembly line includes new equipment, as well as the retooling, upgrading and redeployment of existing machining operations for the cylinder head.

The machining line has an initial installed capacity of 42 000 cylinder heads a year for the V6 engine, but has also been designed to accommodate higher volumes in future, if necessary.

Potential Job Creation
The number of people employed at the Struandale engine plant remains the same. However, the employees allocated to the various machining and assembly lines have been optimised to support the required production volumes for all three engine programmes – including the updated versions of the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo and Single Turbo engines – therefore, ensuring stability in local employment.

Plant employees have received extensive training on the new 3.0 ℓ V6 diesel and updated 2.0 ℓ diesel engines to ensure a seamless production startup.

Capital Expenditure
R600-million, in addition to the R15.8-billion investment announced for Ford’s Silverton assembly plant and supplier tooling in February 2021.

Planned Start/End Date
The project was announced in December 2021. Production started in August 2022.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Ford corporate communications manager Dudu Nxele, tel +27 12 842 2337 or email dnxele@ford.com.