South Africa’s first SANAS-accredited transformer testing lab
A standout achievement that will be celebrated at the Open Day is the company’s SANAS ISO/IEC 17025:2017 recommendation for accreditation for its in-house transformer test laboratories – the only such certification for power transformers in Africa.
This accreditation ensures the precision and reliability of ACTOM’s exhaustive IEC 60076 test protocols, which include impulse testing with a 2.4 million volts impulse generator, chopped wave and switching impulse analysis, PD diagnostics, and full factory acceptance tests (FAT).
“With SANAS accreditation, our customers can now trust that our testing is independently certified to international standards,” adds Wilma Muller, Sales and Marketing Manager. “This sets a new benchmark for transformer quality and testing on the continent.”
Supporting Africa’s clean energy transition
ACTOM Power Transformers has the largest installed base of renewable transformers of any local OEM in South Africa. Its footprint spans over 60 renewable projects and includes landmark projects such as Redstone, Jeffrey’s Bay, Loeriesfontein, Khobab, Perdekraal, and Kangnas, supplying transformers for solar PV, wind, CSP, hydro, biomass and battery energy storage syytems (BESS) facilities.
“Our transformers are a critical enabler of IPP projects,” says Muller. “We support local procurement, meet REIPPPP job creation criteria, and help EPCs deliver reliable, bankable energy infrastructure.”
The company’s diversification from a single utility customer into renewables, municipalities, and data centres has reduced business risk while increasing its relevance in high-growth markets.
Cradle-to-grave service and digital innovation
From logistics and abnormal road routing to onsite erection and final SAT (Site Acceptance Testing), ACTOM Power Transformers delivers comprehensive lifecycle support. It also offers its own in-house developed online condition monitoring through real-time dashboards including dissolved gas analysis (DGA), power analysis, and load trend tracking to ensure customers can monitor transformer health remotely and proactively.
This integrated approach supports clients from project design to long-term maintenance, enabling 40-year transformer lifespans and lowering total cost of ownership.
Looking ahead: smarter, stronger, and more sustainable
With strong foundations and increased capacity, the company is now focusing on scaling transformer size and complexity through alternative supply partnerships, as well as the expansion of online condition monitoring services, all of which are geared to support the continent’s growing demand for grid resilience and renewable energy.
“We are proudly South African, but globally benchmarked,” concludes Jordaan. “As power needs evolve, ACTOM Power Transformers remains ready to meet them – through innovation, integrity, and decades of trusted service.”
