Bulawayo firm breaks new ground. . . acquires first transformer oil regeneration machine

BULAWAYO-based industrial solutions firm, Star Delta Company has acquired a CMM R12 machine, which is capable of regenerating transformer oil and servicing of copper wire windings.

In what could be the first of its kind in the country, the company says the investment towards this new equipment is expected to boost its business and impact positively on other sectors of the economy.

Star Delta has a staff complement of 35 and hopes to increase the numbers up to 200 workers depending on the contracts they get.

Star Delta Company

Chief executive officer, Mr Honest Chinda, said they channeled more than US$300 000 to secure the equipment plus other expenses in order to beef up the business by embracing technology.

This has opened a wider business window for the value chain, said Mr Chinda in an interview.

“This is a great opportunity for all the companies who deal with oil for transformers because we have brought the first machine in the country, which regenerates transformer oil and also services copper wire windings insulated by paper to remove the sludge, which builds up in transformers,” he said.

“Transformer oils are expensive and by so doing we regenerate the oil and save the company half of the amount they will buy with, which is a lot of money.

“If we regenerate the oil and service transformers, the big ones last for 40 years whilst the small ones go up to five to eight years depending on their lifespan. We regenerate all the transformer oil from 500 litres to 10 000 litres.”

Mr Chinda said the regeneration of transformer oil is critical for companies and indicated the need for companies to facilitate taking up samples to the laboratory for checking the content of different impurities like moisture, acids, sludge, and other properties.

After this, he said it was crucial to then regenerate the oil as this saves the business and contributes to environmental conservation.

“The regeneration of oil helps the companies to avoid land pollution and adhere to EMA regulations because if the company is to dispose of the oil every time, this causes disaster,” said Mr Chinda.

“Regeneration becomes cheaper and environmentally friendly. We are open to engaging with all the companies on such services.-chronils