Various organisations and industry associations met at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) recently for the first planning meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The National Electrical Test Facility (NETFA) TAC was launched on 30 July 2019 to create an open and inclusive platform for a broad group of electrotechnical stakeholders to advise on the renewal and modernisation of NETFA.
NETFA is the largest independent test facility for power utilities and the electrotechnical industry within Africa and has been providing services since 1980. The test facility, based at Olifantsfontein, Gauteng, is equipped with indoor and outdoor high-voltage test facilities, a short-circuit test laboratory and a materials and installations laboratory. NETFA provides services to a wide range of local, African and international clients in fields such as electricity generation and distribution, mining equipment, asset management and electronics manufacturing.
SABS executive, Laboratory Services Division Johan Louw says while the SABS has regularly invested in maintenance and upgrades, it has reached a point where it must recapitalise NETFA strategically to meet current and future test demands. The renewal must be done with the support and inclusion of the industry it supports. He says the collective expertise of the TAC will be invaluable in determining the success of the modernisation effort,” says .
Key industry stakeholders who make up the NETFA TAC will ensure alignment of the capital investment plans to the pace and development of the industry. Various workgroups will be created to ensure a broader and deeper engagement to the proposed strategy and implementation plan.
“NETFA must support the local economy with relevant, cost effective conformity assessment services. The upgraded facility will be better able to meet the requirements of local and international standards, as well as customer-specific requirements. Products that are tested successfully at NETFA will enhance South Africa’s export potential and support job creation,” says Louw.
In March 2019, the Department of Trade and allocated R300-million to SABS over a three-year period for the purposes of upgrades to critical infrastructure. R95-million was earmarked for infrastructure upgrades and included NETFA.
Contact Roshelle Pillay, SABS, Tel 012 428 -6878, roshelle.pillay@sabs.co.za
