A true passion for excellence has driven Metso ND Engineering to become one of the best stainless steel fabricators in the world. This drive was the mainspring behind the company winning the engineering projects category of the recent Stainless Steel Awards. 

The awards are contested by both local and overseas companies, and are the larges stainless steel awards in the world, and the biggest single industry awards in Sound Africa. The award to Metso ND Engineering was made for the supply and installation of a Sulphuric Acid Converter plant for the Scorpion Zinc Min in the middle of the Namib desert. Entries in this most prestigious of all stainless steel awards world wide, came from all over the world.

During the construction, the Rosh Pina area often experience the most adverse weather conditions possible, with temperature frequently reaching 45 degrees compounded by wind storms and dust clouds which reduced visibility to zero. The work was made even more difficult by the 100km an hour winds, which made hauling and lifting huge slabs of stainless steel and working on the flimsy scaffold next to the converter extremely hazardous. The entire crew of two supervisors, three boilermakers, four welders and five semi-skilled workers stayed on site in between periodically being bussed back to Durban to visit their families.

The project utilized 250 tonnes of stainless steel plates. Pre-manufactured of the modular units was completed in the record time of 63 days. Installation on site was completed in 57 days. The judges found the work to be of exceptionally high quality, standards, workmanship and delivery.