WEG Turbine Services: the long-term service offering MCA visits the Benoni facilities of WEG Turbine Services to meet Alastair Gerrard, Executive for Energy systems, for an introduction to WEG’s comprehensive steam turbine-related supply, installation and long-term service offering now available to operators across Africa. F ollowing the February 2024 acquisi- tion by WEG of the Benoni-based service facilities of RTS, Rotating Technologies and Services, a leading
provider of engineering, maintenance and repair services for steam turbines, centrifugal and reciprocal compressors, gearboxes and other related equipment, WEG has estab- lished itself as an OEM and servicing provider for steam-turbine and generator solutions across the lifecycle of its own and other brands. “Before the acquisition, RTS was a local partner for servicing our WEG steam turbines for the sub-Saharan African region, and we worked closely with them to install, man- age and service WEG turbine installations. Incorporating RTS into WEG’s thermal energy business enables us to offer an expanded set of solutions for operators of steam turbine generator sets and mechanical drives across sub-Saharan Africa, from installation to long- term preventative maintenance and remote monitoring, followed by plant upgrades and replacements,” he adds. “What we've done here in Benoni is to con- solidate our steam turbine solutions offering, from supplying new WEG turbines, gearboxes and generators, to a comprehensive range of aftersales services, which are all now managed from this facility,” says Alastair Gerrard. Explaining the strategy underpinning the RTS acquisition, he says that WEG’s thermal energy business is made up of a solutions team, which deals with supplying new equip- ment designed according to a customer’s specification or need; and the turbine services side, which looks after the installation of new equipment, as well as the after sales servic- ing, either through service level agreements signed with customers, or on a quote, receive and order basis. “WEG in Brazil has a strong servicing back- ground. What we lacked here in Africa was the ability to do our own installations and our own servicing. We were offering the equipment and then working with third parties to deliver these services. But whoever manages servic- ing, not only controls the supply of spares, but also stands a far better chance of securing new
WEG’s turbine facility in Benoni consolidates the company’s steam turbine solutions, from managing the supply of new WEG turbines, gearboxes and generators to offering a comprehensive range of after-sales services.
they need to be brought down for a service intervention, though. “The first service, at about 12 months, is a simple inspection service, where we look at the emergency stop valve (ESV) at the front of the turbine where the steam comes in. We clean the ESV to ensure it's operating correctly, conduct an overall health check of the machine, and review the operator logs for incidents that may suggest further work is needed. “Then, after another 10 000 hours of op- eration, we do a minor overhaul that involves a little bit more. We use borescopes to inspect the turbine casing, the condition of the blades, rotors, and other internal components with- out opening the machine. This cycle repeats in years three and four, but in the fifth or sixth year, after about 40 000 hours of operation, we perform a major overhaul that involves opening the casing. “The timing of interventions depends on several factors, such as the quality of the steam that's been put through the turbine. If poor, then the period between interventions needs to be shortened. And if any problems are picked up, then we obviously need to in- tervene early to avoid potential catastrophic
orders for machines,” Gerrard argues. “By servicing steam turbines from any OEM, we develop knowledge of the client’s machines and applications. We can under- stand the environment and the challenges, and collect a history of machines across the market. When a turbine is no longer economi- cal to repair, service and usage data enable us to quickly put together a custom replacement solution that meets the client's specific needs. “This is why we decided to get into ser- vices: to access the market at a different level, to understand what's out there over time, and eventually, to look at replacing existing machines with WEG solutions. When we sell a WEG solution, we have the resources to offer industry-leading value-added services. We don't just dump and run; we reassure the client that we'll walk the road with them throughout the machine's lifecycle and be- yond,” he tells MCA. Lifecycles and turbine service needs Typical steam turbines, says Gerrard, are de- signed to operate continuously for 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. At least once every 10 000 operating hours (or 12-14 months),
12 ¦ MechChem Africa • January-February 2025
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