South Africa holds significant importance for the African continent as the largest economy and an important trade and investment hub. As a member of various international bodies like the United Nations, G20, BRICS, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), South Africa has a significant influence on regional and global politics. It is also actively involved in peacekeeping missions and mediation efforts across Africa, contributing to stability and conflict resolution.

70% of SA´s electrical energy comes from coal-fired power plants, and at the same time the proportion of wind turbines is being expanded significantly.

Which Companies Are Key Players in South Africa's Energy Sector?

Thermal power plants

Several boiler makers have been involved in equipping South African power plants with pressure vessels and boiler systems. Some of the notable companies include:

• Hitachi Power Africa (now part of the European Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems - MHPS) - They have supplied boilers to Eskom’s Medupi and Kusile power stations.
• Alstom (France, now part of GE Power) - They have been involved in supplying boilers for various Eskom power plants.
• Babcock International Group (UK) - They have supplied and maintained boilers for Eskom power plants over the years.
• John Thompson - A South African company that has supplied numerous industrial boilers to Eskom and other power utilities internationally.

These companies have played significant roles in providing the necessary equipment and maintenance for South Africa's power generation infrastructure. Like the German Borsig GmbH and Deutsche Babcock AG, Babcock International also goes back to Babcock and Wilcox, USA and the American inventor George Babcock.

The only two nuclear reactors of South Africa in the Koeberg power plant come from France (Framatome M310 of the CP1 series) and are based on plans from Westinghouse, USA. A more political article about wind and nuclear energy in South Africa and Germany was lately published here:

https://pressportal.co.za/energy-and-environment/story/exploring-nuclear-power-and-wind-farms-as-solutions-to-south-africas-energy-problems.html

Modern Wind Parks

The development of wind parks in South Africa has involved several key players, including both local and international companies. Some of the notable ones include:

• Enel Green Power - An Italian renewable energy company that has been actively involved in the construction and operation of wind farms in South Africa.
• Mainstream Renewable Power - An independent global developer of renewable energy projects, Mainstream has developed multiple wind farms in South Africa. (Since 2021 Mainstream is part of Aker Horizon, Norway)
• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (Germany) - This company, a leading supplier of wind power solutions, has been involved in supplying wind turbines and constructing wind farms.
• EDF Renewables - A subsidiary of the French “nuclear” utility EDF, it has been involved in developing and operating wind farms in South Africa.
• ACWA Power - A Saudi Arabian developer, investor, and operator of power generation and desalinated water production plants, including wind power projects in South Africa.
• BioTherm Energy - A South African company that develops and operates renewable energy projects, including wind farms.

These companies have contributed significantly to the growth of wind energy in South Africa, supporting the country's efforts to diversify its energy mix and increase the share of renewable energy.

The author is CEO of a small but highly certified German drop forge, supplying forgings for all kinds of energy systems: from coal-fired plants over modern nuclear and solar thermal plants to wind turbines. He is regularly writing popular scientific articles about steel and its varied applications.

KB Schmiedetechnik GmbH

https://kb-schmiedetechnik.de/about-us.html

Source: All information in this article is derived from Wikipedia and the websites of the mentioned companies.