State-owned company Transnet have unveiled 50 new locally built fuel-transporting tank wagons – a milestone in South Africa’s quest to become an original equipment manufacturing hub on the continent, Public Enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba said on Friday.
 
Mr Gigaba was speaking in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, at the Transnet Rail Engineering plant.
 
The wagons are a product of a partnership between Transnet Pipelines (TPL) and Transnet Rail Engineering (TRE), both divisions of state-owned company Transnet. TRE has invested over R20 million in modern technologies specific to the sophisticated wagons.
 
Each wagon is 17 meters long and can carry approximately 74,000 litres of highly flammable, highly pressurised liquid.
 
TPL decided to initially focus its market demand strategy on the delivery of fuel from its Tarlton terminal near Krugersdorp to Botswana. The wagons will be used to ensure fuel security to the country’s landlocked neighbour Botswana, Transnet said.
 
“This technological progress presents a massive innovative opportunity for the South African economy,” said Mr Gigaba.
 
“It demonstrates that TRE can act as both the original equipment manufacturer and prime contractor for the design and manufacture of complex and safety critical rolling stock.
 
“This is clearly a watershed that all South Africans can be extremely proud of, as we continue to build and demonstrate our capability in our quest to become an important technology and original equipment manufacturing hub in Africa,” he said.
 
He added that he looked forward to TRE receiving orders for the tanker wagons from customers on the continent and Asia, among others.
 
“It is imperative that we build on this experience. We need to move TRE systematically up the value chain to become prime contractor and manufacturer of locomotives.”