LOCAL company Duys Engineering Group celebrates handing over a 75-ton work barge manufactured in its New Germany engineering works. Handed over to Mozambican company Kenmare, the project hired 180 men and women who acquired new skills and experience through the project. Kenamare is a mining company that operates the Moma Titanium Minerals Mine.

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Friends and supporters of the company gathered for the celebration and naming of the 75-ton work. It was given the name, WB Regina.

Built to international marine standards, the barge is propelled hydraulically with a fully tiled and side-thrust propulsion system for manoeuvrability in confined spaces. It will carry two large cranes and be used for general mining-plant maintenance and service.

The barge will be dismantled into six large subsections for abnormal load transport to Richards Bay harbour and reassembled on-site.

Chairman Henk Duys congratulated the team on the completion of the project.

“Over the last six months, Duys has re-opened our engineering operations in New Germany and upgraded our Richards Bay factory. We have added 180 employees, most of whom were previously unemployed. We have paid R25 million in gross wages and contributed R3.2 million in tax into the economy through PAYE; 156 000 hours were worked on the project; and R6.75 million was spent on welding consumables alone, and we trebled our electricity bill!” he said.

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The Duys Engineering Group is also heavily invested in the automotive-component-manufacturing industry, supplying component parts to major motor-vehicle assembly plants with factories in New Germany, Pretoria and Gqeberha.

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