Steinmüller Africa successfully ensured uninterrupted operations of Mpumalanga’s Duvha Power Station during its planned maintenance outage in November this year. This was made possible by completing five pulverised fuel burner openings at the company’s Pretoria Workshop.
The project commenced in May 2024. This involved the detailed prototyping of the various burner components, each meticulously designed to meet precise specifications. To meet the stringent quality standards within the time frame required by Duvha Power Station, the Pretoria Workshop relied on its team of experts in tube rolling and bending, project planning, boilermaking and welding.
The tubular designs required intricate tube rolling and bending. To ensure the precise angles, diameters and structural integrity were achieved, advanced machinery and specialised equipment were used. By leveraging the Pretoria Workshop’s in-house capabilities, material integrity was preserved and timely delivery for the planned outage was achieved.
Using robust project planning tools, the Pretoria Workshop optimised material use from sheet metal layout to cutting and shaping. As a result, the team significantly reduced offcuts and minimised waste. Additionally, the number of butt welds, typically time-intensive and requiring extra material, was reduced.
The manufacturing process also required high-precision boilermaking. The boilermakers fabricated the components with meticulous attention to the burner’s precise requirements. Strong, durable welds – designed to withstand high temperatures and pressure – were then created.
Each weld was inspected to ensure it met safety and quality standards, as these burners will be in demanding operating conditions at the power station.
“This project marks a significant milestone for Steinmüller Africa’s Pretoria Workshop by showcasing the capabilities of our team of experts in executing complex, high-precision manufacturing,” says Thabang Kubeka, project manager at Steinmüller Africa.
The experts responsible for this project include boilermaker Hudson Chikwature, welding specialist Willem Pelser and bending foreman Mike McKenna.
“This success paves the way for the Pretoria Workshop to take on more ambitious projects in the future,” says Kubeka, who adds that the completion strengthens Steinmüller Africa’s role as a trusted partner in supporting Eskom’s operational excellence and reliability at Duvha Power Station – contributing to South Africa’s critical energy infrastructure.
