Wärtsilä Corporation today officially opened a new engine and propeller workshop in Cape Town, South Africa. From this workshop, Wärtsilä provides the full range of services to the owners and operators of ships and power plants with both two- and four-stroke engines.
The new workshop includes an engine workshop, a propeller workshop and an office. The facilities are well equipped to serve the customers. There are 43 skilled employees at Wärtsilä in South Africa.
The engine workshop has a ten-tonne crane with a lifting height of six metres. This workshop will extend its services during 2008 with the addition of a fuel injection workshop and a governor workshop.
The propeller workshop is equipped with a 6.4-tonne crane with a lifting height of 3.6 m. There are three welding bays, all equipped with welding machines, and two special grinding bays. The workshop is also furnished with a casting unit able to cast new fixed-pitch propellers of up to 1.9 m diameter and 450 kg final weight of new blades for controllable-pitch propellers in classes 1 and 2.
From the facilities at Cape Town and Durban, Wärtsilä provides services for marine and land-based installations over the whole Sub Saharan region, including Madagascar and Mauritius. A branch office with a workshop is being established at Walvis Bay in Namibia. From the South African bases, Wärtsilä is currently serving customers as far away as Nigeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast for supporting local network companies in the marine industry.
A flying squad of service engineers is available to serve customers in the region. This service is supported by fully equipped mobile container with special propeller repair tools and welding equipment.
Wärtsilä began service operations in South Africa in 1994 with a staff of one person. This operation soon expanded and in 1996 a workshop was established at Paarden Eiland, Cape Town. A service depot in Durban was acquired through the merger with New Sulzer Diesel Ltd in 1997.
Pictures will be downloadable at www.wartsila.com
Media contact:
Marit Holmlund-Sund
Public Relations Manager
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1439
Direct fax: +358 10 709 1425
e-mail: marit.holmlund-sund@wartsila.com
Internet: www.wartsila.com
Notes to the editor:
Wärtsilä enhances the business of its customers by providing them with complete lifecycle power solutions. When creating better and environmentally compatible technologies, Wärtsilä focuses on the marine and energy markets with products and solutions as well as services. Through innovative products and services, Wärtsilä sets out to be the most valued business partner of all its customers. This is achieved by the dedication of more than 15,000 professionals manning 150 Wärtsilä locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on The Nordic Exchange in Helsinki, Finland.
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