Murray & Roberts’ Engineering Africa platform continued to make good market penetration progress into Africa during 2013. The platform is comprised of EPC projects implementer, Murray & Roberts Projects – with a focus on power, industrial projects and asset support services; Wade Walker, the electrical and instrumentation engineers and constructors; Concor Engineering, the mechanical engineers and construction contractor with a focus on minerals and metals processing projects; Genrec, the steel engineering and fabrication company; and the newly established Murray & Roberts Water – focusing on providing water and wastewater treatment solutions.
Frank Saieva, Engineering Africa Operating Platform Executive comments: “As we enter the new year, I’m confident that the focus of the platform’s operations has orientated us towards potentially more profitable markets and projects where we may have a competitive advantage. We’ll also be looking to establish strategic partnerships that will enhance our ability to deliver to specific market needs.”
Murray & Roberts Projects is specifically poised to move strongly into the concentrated solar power (CSP) arena this year, well equipped to add value to independent power producers and developers by offering full lump sum turnkey project delivery solutions, specifically parabolic trough projects. CSP plants produce electricity by concentrating the sun’s thermal energy and converting it through heat transfer media to produce the high temperature and pressure steam necessary to drive conventional steam turbines and generators.
Concor Engineering has successfully diversified its geographical presence and services offering over the last two years. In addition to South Africa, projects are being executed in Namibia and Zambia with further focus for expansion to Ghana, as the hub for West Africa and Mozambique. From the original expertise in construction of platinum concentrators, Concor Engineering expanded its capabilities to selected engineering and O&M services in addition to fabrication and construction of piping, tanks, platework and structural steel.
Some of the countries where Wade Walker successfully executed projects include DRC, Zambia, Botswana, Ghana, Mauritania and Zimbabwe to mention a few. Similar to Concor Engineering, a new management team is tasked with the further growth both in South Africa and selected sub-Saharan countries and addition of services to include selected engineering and operations & maintenance activities.
During 2013, Genrec focussed its efforts on evolving into a lean, competitive facility. The most significant impact of the restructuring has been to reduce the cost of fabricated output by almost a third over two years, two-thirds of which reduction was achieved in the year under review.
Murray & Roberts Water has identified opportunities to deliver state-of-the-art water. The new company achieved early success only months after its establishment, when it secured a contract to provide two modular plants at Gold Fields’ Ghana-based Tarkwa gold operations, shown in the picture. Efforts are also being made to build Murray & Roberts Water’s design-build and operations and maintenance capabilities.
The roll-out of the Murray & Roberts Group Stop.Think.Act.24/7 safety initiative during 2013 has reinforced the Engineering Africa platform’s focus on health and safety, underpinning the introduction of the group’s Zero Harm through Effective Leadership program and its platform-specific health and safety interventions.