Manufacture of Tanks, Cylinders, Reservoirs and Steam Generators in South Africa 2020

Manufacture of Tanks, Cylinders, Reservoirs and Steam Generators

The manufacture of tanks, cylinders, reservoirs and steam generators, also known as the pressure equipment manufacturing industry, includes the manufacture of pressure vessels, steam generators and pneumatic and hydraulic cylinder, air and gas compressor and universal vessels. The uncertainty created by coronavirus has compounded low levels of domestic demand for intermediate and finished products, dampened selling prices and worsened levels of business, investor and consumer confidence, according to the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa.

Lockdown Effects

Sales figures indicate an almost 50% drop in sales of tanks, cylinders, reservoirs, steam generators and related machinery sub-components in April and May 2020, while downstream steel operators remain pessimistic about demand and cash flow. The lockdown may speed up the adoption by local industry of new technologies.

Industry Drivers

The sector’s challenges include low domestic demand and investment, load-shedding, the exchange rate, procurement difficulties, legislation and imports. Factors that drive growth include increased agro-processing, developments for additional bulk LPG storage at local terminals, proposals for the supply of stainless steel petroleum and natural gas containers for residential use and the global growth in the use of stainless steel.

Report Coverage

This report focuses on the manufacture of tanks, cylinders, reservoirs and steam generators, otherwise known as the pressure equipment manufacturing industry, a value-adding manufacturing division in the fabrication of metals sub-sector, which includes all structural metal products in the fourth and final stage of the metals beneficiation process. It includes comprehensive information on the state of the sector and influencing factors including trade and regulatory factors, corporate actions and sectoral and corporate developments. There are profiles of 34 companies including major players such as Actom and African Oxygen, the state-owned South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, gas cylinder manufacturer Pabar and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Africa, which sells commercial-use boilers.