Baseload electrical energy is, for the purpose of this article, energy that is readily dispatchable at a predictable energy availability factor level (EAF). The primary energy that enables dispatchability and predictable EAF are nuclear and fossil fuel.  The most compelling aspect of baseload that need consideration is that, power generation must be relatively continuous. Baseload therefore means electrical energy source that can be completely relied upon.

How about solar and hydroelectricity

Solar

Solar energy is used in two different forms as a source of primary energy, viz: (i) solar photovoltaic and rechargeable battery and inverter system; and (ii) concentrated solar and turbo-generator system. In these formats, Solar Energy does not meet baseload requirements as per the above-mentioned definition. During the period when the sun’s radiative intensity is lower than required, concentrated solar is unable to heat the working fluid to desired temperature levels or when the sun emits higher than required radiative intensity and photovoltaic cells lose their overall efficiency.

The intensive study on solar rays’ physical behaviour has yielded Improvements on these solar-oriented system.  Recent designs and application of heat storage systems have allowed for the storage of useful heat over an extended period of time and photovoltaic cells are now being designed and built to withstand beyond design-base heat intensity.  Photovoltaic is inefficient and require large space (agriculturally productive tracks of land could be lost to this technology) for small energy output, also then photovoltaic’s operational life is notoriously short. Soon solar will be engineered to meet the baseload requirements as defined above.

Hydroelectricity

A dam built across a river and a pumped-storage reservoirs with associated penstocks and turbo-generator arrangement can generate hydroelectricity.  In both cases, the amount of hydro-electric power generated is inversely proportional to the hydraulic head of the source. South African hydroelectric systems suffer low EAF as the seasons change from rainy to dry. The pumped storage system has an added disadvantage as its availability is already compromised due to necessary pauses between generating and pumping water back into reservoirs. Hydroelectric generation is therefore not a suitable baseload system (as per this article’s definition) for South Africa due to the fact that the South African river systems in unsteady and unreliable.

Grid stability issues

Even if PV solar, wind and battery energy technologies succeed at providing most of the energy required and they significantly surpass electrical energy generated by synchronous generating machines, a new problem would ensue. These inverters are not capable of keeping the grid stable, safe and efficient. The grid stability is defined as the grid’s ability to remain at the specific frequency and voltage levels.

The inverters in renewable energy generators mentioned above do not have capabilities to prevent the inertia shortfall, unless if further investment is made into equipment such as the synchronous condensers. The synchronous condensers emulate the synchronous turbo-generators in keeping the grid stable, safe and efficient.

Conclusion and necessary forward

A diverse baseload energy generating portfolio that includes renewables and aims to reduce adverse environmental impacts and associated externalities is essential for driving the country’s economy. As has been indicated herein, nuclear energy is an obvious choice for such a baseload portfolio. The other energy sources that must be explored and evaluated for the South African baseload is a geothermal energy source.

The term on-site machining (OSM) refers to machining performed at the location where the breakdown or maintenance occurred. This process speaks to the operating philosophy of machining within dedicated work areas instead of components being transported to remote workshops for refurbishment. The on-site machining process possesses the merit of being fast, cost-effective, and reducing downtime. 

Despite the enormous advantages over traditional workshop floor machining for maintenance and repairs, little is known about OSM in Africa and most developing countries, although this field of machining has been around for decades. Early inventions can be seen on patents, such as the portable milling machine dating back to 1970 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 

Convenience

The patent related to milling tube or pipe ends to a shape that the machine operator desires. The invention introduced the portable milling machine for tube ends that were out of round shape instead of the typical approach of using tracks secured to the outside diameter of the pipe. In such a case, the portable milling machine brings the convenience of machining non-standard-shaped components within the dedicated plant location. 

The requirements for machining on-site vary across industries, such as power generation, oil and gas, petrochemical plants, mining, earthmoving and construction, manufacturing, ship building and repair, forestry, pulp and paper, and water utilities. The requirements for machining on-site are largely due to components that rotate, requiring maintenance and repairs due to wear and tear. The scope is limited to the challenges of rotating parts and overall components that require surface restoration or, in some cases, bolts or studs that have seized on removal. Possible multiple applications have not yet been explored, and as such, advancements in the design of portable machine tools have seen improvements but with room for more work to be done in the advancement of the field. 

Upgrades

The initial machine designs in on-site machining, which are still largely in use, are based on the upgrade of conventional machines such as centre lathe, milling machine, drilling machine, surface grinder, horizontal boring mill etc, located within most machine shops. Thus a conventional centre lathe utilized within a machine shop would have a portable version but one that would be mounted on a shaft in situ for machining. Most portable machine tools in current use are based on this principle.  

The application of OSM has numerous advantages for clients, especially during outages or shutdowns. Where components need to be stripped down for maintenance and repair purposes, the transportation of components to remote workshops is often required for machining applications depending on the condition of the component. In other instances, components cannot be removed from the site, which presents a  challenge where machining is required. The transportation of components has its disadvantages as most of the components are often large and require abnormal transportation. In addition, the energy utilized to transport such large components adds carbon emissions to the environment, compounding the disadvantages of machining off site. 

In position

Portable machine tools are usually transported by vehicle, such as a single or double cab vehicle. The machines are normally electric, hydraulic, or pneumatically powered, and they would be connected within most power plants or areas where the components are located. The component is machined in position eliminating the need for a complete strip down, where applicable. A complete strip-down of the component lends itself to scope creep, as some parts require additional work. 

Downtime through OSM is reduced to a minimum as some machining can be carried out during a shift with minimum interruption to the plant operation. The result to the client is a saving in time and money as opposed to the costs associated with a complete strip-down for maintenance, repairs and work carried out off-site. In addition, the client witnessing the work being carried out in situ removes the possibility of unknowns resulting from work conducted off-site.

The Transition to Renewable Energy

The global debate on the existence of global warming and the urgency to reduce CO2 emissions has shifted to the best method of transitioning to this new decarbonized world. The European Union has set a target of reducing CO2 emissions to 100% below 1990 levels by 2050. Cynics may question the feasibility of this ambitious target and the timidity of setting targets rather than laws, while optimists may argue, “Aim for the stars – you may reach the moon.” 

The UK, notwithstanding Brexit, has arguably taken the lead by passing the net zero target for 2050 into law; while on the other end of the spectrum Poland appears reticent to support CO2 emissions targets. Across the Atlantic, we see a similar mixed approach with California taking the lead in decarbonization and the oil states being less supportive. 

Tackling global warming requires worldwide and immediate joint effort in which regional vested interests will need to be negotiated. Europe and the United States have made massive progress in reducing CO2 emissions such that South Africa cannot continue with business-as-usual. Our current technology imported from Europe and America, will become unavailable. As an example, Volvo, DAF, Daimler, Ford, Iveco, MAN, and Scania have all pledged to end diesel truck sales by 2040. These truck brands deliver over 90% of the long-haul road freight in South Africa and are the backbone of our supply chain network. 

New energy source

Overseas investment in projects which emit CO2 emissions has ceased, and Europe, our biggest export market, appears likely to implement a carbon import tax on products associated with CO2 emissions. The following article will discuss our required transition to a low carbon economy. South Africa needs to focus on poverty alleviation and job creation within the context of positioning itself in this new low carbon world economy.

At the heart of this transition is replacing the burning of fossil fuels with a new energy source. Progress in the 20th century was made possible by burning coal, oil, and gas to power mechanized machines for farming, mining, construction and mobilize goods and people. In 2020, 5 out of the 10 largest companies in the world by revenue were oil and gas industries, which demonstrates that energy is a key economic driver to our global economy.

Through a combination of using a cleaner energy mix of wind turbines, solar power plants, and gas-fired rather than coal-fired power stations, and greater efficiencies in using this energy in industry, businesses, and homes, both the UK and Germany have led the way in reducing emissions by around 50% compared with their 1990 levels: with continued improvements still possible. Further positive developments have been the emergence of electric passenger vehicles as a viable alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles. Battery electric vehicles made up 54% of all new cars sold in Norway in 2020, and a modest 6% but growing in China. Challenges however remain. The cost of energy storage is currently limiting a full penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources to provide high quality uninterrupted power.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen fuel (or using hydrogen as an energy carrier) has been proposed as a solution to store surplus renewable energy by electrolyzing water to be used again when the sun stops shining, or the wind stops blowing. Hydrogen has an energy density 2.6 times that of diesel which is extremely positive, but the economic feasibility of a hydrogen powered industry including hydrogen production and distribution needs to be questioned and compared with state-of-the-art alternatives. 

The argument that the future glut of cheap renewable energy will power a green hydrogen economy does not hold water. Currently 98% of hydrogen is produced from natural gas using the steam-methane reforming (SMR) process. This cheaper hydrogen production process, as compared to electrolysis, commonly releases CO2 into the atmosphere. The production of electricity directly from methane is cheaper than the production of electricity from hydrogen produced with SMR. 

The production, distribution, and utilization of hydrogen requires water purification, compression or liquification, distribution and conversion back to electricity through a fuel cell. In each of these processes, energy is lost to the point that only 35% of the original energy is useful.  This is 3 times less compared with the energy stored in a battery. Using a realistic energy grid, which is not 100% decarbonized, each unit of electricity derived from a hydrogen fuel cell is responsible for 3 times the CO2 emissions derived from a Li-ion battery.

No meaningful penetration

The freight haulage business is extremely price sensitive, which is why hydrogen fuel cell technology has made no meaningful penetration into the commercial vehicle market for which it is hyped as the solution to the weight of a battery. The flagship hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is the Toyota Mirai, which is a passenger vehicle. Toyota has contributed immensely to the world economy in furthering lean engineering and waste reduction, but the waste of energy in driving a Toyota Mirai compared with a battery electric vehicle is at loggerheads with Toyota guru, Taiichi Ohno’s waste reduction principles. 

The VW group, comprising MAN and Scania, which accounts for 1/3 of commercial vehicles sales in South Africa, has ceased further investment in hydrogen technologies in spite it being currently the only heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer with hydrogen vehicles in operations with customers. Scania’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Alexander Vlaskamp, “To do what’s best for both our customers total operating economy and our planet, we are not closing the door on any possibilities. It is clear that Scania’s focus in the here-and-now perspective as well as short- term is a combination of renewable fuels and battery electric vehicles. We see that for basically all segments.”

Nuclear energy is also no silver bullet. A nuclear power plant takes 10 years to build, which is how long we have taken to build coal power stations Medupi and Kusile.  Realistically South Africa cannot afford the capital investment for a nuclear power plant. Furthermore, it is a challenge to vary the power output of nuclear power stations to track the energy demand variations and dips of energy output from solar and wind. South Africa should continue with plans to extend the life of the 2 GW Koeberg but not plan for new nuclear plants which we cannot afford.

Energy needs

South Africa’s current electricity mix of 4% from solar and wind provides ample room for expansion with the most potential for overseas and local investment to decarbonize our electricity supply. Other good news is that South Africa has expanded the Lesotho highlands hydropower stations from Phase I to Phase II (currently at ~72 MW with an added ~110 MW almost complete) and pump storage schemes (currently at ~1000 MW with ~1000 MW almost complete). South Africa’s hydropower is only a fraction of our energy needs but orders of magnitude greater than the world’s largest hydrogen electrolysis plant planned for Leuna, Germany to start production of green hydrogen in 2022 (24 MW). 

We also have extensive local expertise and knowledge in the successful implementation of the 2 GW, 1 400 km, transmission line from the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric plant. Eskom should focus on maintaining an efficient electrical energy distribution system, which is an important piece of the decarbonization puzzle. It is likely that the best solution to the renewable energy transition in South Africa will be a combination of low cost solar, wind and hydroelectric schemes with local battery storage and efficient electricity transmission and schemes to balance power demand and supply like using privately owned electric vehicles to power the grid during periods of peak demand. 

Before expensive decarbonization infrastructure is planned, the use of energy in the most efficient manner possible in industry, businesses, and homes needs to be pursued. These efficiency interventions alone will not get us to zero carbon emissions, but they importantly do reduce emissions, they pay for themselves, and they make the final infrastructure spend on low carbon energy production and storage less demanding. Plant managers should ensure controllers are at the correct set-points with continuous improvement plans in place to reduce energy costs. 

More than golf carts

Although South Africa’s office heating demands are modest in comparison to the Northern hemisphere, heating systems should use electricity and heat pumps. Innovative legislation to unlock high-capacity transport i.e., the Performance-Based Standards initiative which has demonstrated a reduction in CO2 emissions by 19%, should be supported by government. Government needs to further campaign and advocate for the slice of the electric vehicle manufacturing market. The automotive manufacturing sector in South Africa accounts for 6% of our current economy. We currently stand to lose an important export revenue stream if we continue to manufacture internal combustion vehicles. 

Removal of the 25% import tax on electric car imports (which were intended for golfcarts), would send the correct message to the likes of VW, Tesla and BYD to consider manufacturing electric vehicle plants in South Africa. Upgrades and electrification of our train system (sadly dogged in recent years by tender corruption scandals) is needed to make rail transport more attractive. Using predicted GDP growth and freight models, South Africa’s transport demand will require several additional lanes to the Durban-Gauteng and other major freight corridors in the next 20–25 years. Rail needs to play its appropriate role in the national freight transport system by reducing pressure on road infrastructure along long-distance, large volume corridors. This would further our national decarbonization efforts.

Way forward

South Africa will need to contribute to a decarbonized world economy and towards this end focus on using energy more efficiently. Energy efficiency is our only hope to dig ourselves out of the hole of being bankrupt but still make deep, meaningful cuts in CO2 emissions; the efficiency improvement interventions paying for themselves. In this respect, using hydrogen as an energy carrier and the hydrogen economy is a nonstarter. 

The Koeberg nuclear plant should be maintained but any new nuclear build is unaffordable. Eskom and the government need to focus on a fair and conducive regulatory framework to allow solar and wind plants to be financed and built and focus on maintaining an efficient distribution system to transmit electricity. We advise the SA government and industry to be guided by the most recent developments. The current and most affordable power systems are based on solar, wind, battery energy storage and hydro where possible.

This article was submitted by Frank Kienhofer and has been collaboratively written by the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight - South Africa (SRF-SA), a collaboration which currently includes Stellenbosch University, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), the CSIR, the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and local industry partner Michelin South Africa. The SRF-SA has partnered with the SRF-UK (which includes Cambridge and Heriot-Watt Universities) and universities in China (Tong-ji, Jilin, and Zhejiang Universities) and India (IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad).

Many of our members have approached SAIMechE as to the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) regulations regarding the Practice Note of registration with the South African Council Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) as Project Managers and/or Construction Managers for tenders and contracts that Industry and State Owned Enterprises (SOE’S) have issued. SAIMechE in turn made representation to the Council of the Built Environment (CBE) to clarify this guideline and to seek their opinion about this issue as both ECSA and SACPCMP reported to the CBE. As a result CBE hosted a meeting between CBE, CIDB and SAIMechE to examine and clarify the interpretation of the CIDB Practice Note.

What is value for your membership?  Well, before we get to that, maybe it's worthwhile to ask who are we?  The South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering is the senior body representing the discipline of Mechanical Engineering in South Africa (SAIMechE).

We remain steadfast in the view that "By Knowledge We Advance".  That brings us to the significance of the engineering opinion, particularly, related to the Mechanical Engineering discipline.

To understand the importance of our opinion, perhaps a good place to start will be where that opinion is going to be applied and ultimately its impact on the economy.  Think infrastructure for aviation, rail, road, marine and their corresponding systems including their different modes of transport; infrastructure for utilities; medical equipment, mining infrastructure and other such significant assets.

Where Does one go for an opinion on the above?  It should be undisputed that the home of such opinion is, predominantly, SAIMechE.

Home of the Mechanical Engineering Opinion

Lest we forget that the screw pump at a wastewater treatment plant, massive as it is, is useless without an electric motor.

On the other hand, both these pieces of equipment are controlled by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) which is electronic.  Need I say more!  Well, of course we will still defend the Mechanical Engineering opinion with appreciation of the equally significant roles played by other disciplines.

But I said "home" of the Mechanical Engineering opinion.  I want to made an assumption that each time one refers to a place as home, a sense of belonging, of pride, of security and of freedom, among others, quickly takes over.  Now, open the door of that home, walk in and only find one member sitting there.  Surely you will have doubts in as far as one person's opinion versus the scope of what is expected from a regular home.

One the other hand, the consolidation of many authors'  views is that engineering is the application of science and mathematics to solve humanity's problems.  Given the wide variety of problems in this regard, it makes sense that the logical and structured approach might not be adequate to assist in finding such solutions.

The home owner

Of course the home owner's role cannot get easier that keeping family members happy and engaged to maximize and sustain their sense of belonging.  But simply saying "keeping members happy" does not provide much.  The organisation will have to, together with its community, unpack that to the satisfaction of all members.

Many sources I have consulted on organisational membership suggest that the organisation must ensure provision of continuous value for its members.  While that might be correct to some extent, I'll still go ahead and rephrase that to suggest that the organisation must ensure provision of platforms for creation of continuous value, because what organisation can ever have a conclusive position on that constitutes value proposition for its members without their involvement?

Notwithstanding the fact that members' involvement provides ore clarity on what they see as value for their membership, it is also expected that their involvement will give them a sense of owning that part of the organisation to which they have contributed.

I suppose it's a safe assumption, again, to suggest that members who are having a sense of belonging will stay and , further, automatically continue to engage meaningfully for knowledge creation and sharing.  And, what better place for the Mechanical Engineering stakeholders that in SAIMechE.

Fortunately, SAIMechE already has many platforms to enable easy value exchange for its members.  To count but a few, the website and its many features; and also a number of contact sessions.  Although those platforms are very important, they should not be confused with real value for membership, which I will attempt to get to, soon.

The role-players

Why do we want to congregate?  Is it because we want to achieve shared goals/outputs?  I'd say yes... The importance of achieving results together cannot be underestimated.  Out of that comes member confidence and a sense of fulfillment for those who played a role.  Arguably, people who achieve together are likely to stick around together.

The question, however, remains whether the SAIMechE membership numbers are adequate enough to provide for a representative opinion.  According to our records, females in articular make up a heartbreaking 8.9% of the total number of SAIMechE members.  Accounting to the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), South Africa has one engineer per 2 600 people compared with international norms, where one engineer serves 40 people.

Considering that we've already seen here that the engineering scope can never be perfectly designed to allow for the engineer to follow a logical and structured approach given the wider scope of the problems to be solved, the more innovative and progressive opinions from the members the better!

The organisation provides for a wide variety of categories to enable a wide range of role-players:  Company Affiliates, Associates, Honorary Fellow, Fellow, Graduates, Students and open category members where all qualifying stakeholders of this profession are invited to come and contribute meaningfully.

And on a biased note, given the slow uptake by females in this profession, I particularly urge all eligible female persons to rise up and make a difference in this profession.  Their colourfulness is sorely missed!

The value proposition

Is it incentives, rewards, and the likes that will make you proud each time the name SAIMEchE is mentioned; or is it SAIMEchE's credible engineering opinion that cannot be ignored by society that will make you proud to belong?  I choose a credible engineering opinion.

Whichever one you choose, please still come and advance the organisation with us!  With more members' involvement, we can be certain of a more accurately defined value proposition, and therefore a better output for SAIMechE.

The evidence of engineering activity is all around us. The homes we live in, the cars we drive, the telephones we talk on and the medical equipment we have to help us diagnose and treat our health issues. It is not possible to look around the built environment and not notice something that is the result of engineering activity. We live today very much in an engineered world. Further, this engineered world has very definite levels of complexity easily observed as we look around. From the “simple” piece of steel that is called a crowbar and used as a lever to get something moved to the hugely complex pieces of equipment that float around in space creating a network of communication devices that have become an integral part of our daily lives. Not so simple You may have noticed that the word simple was placed in inverted commas. Is the crowbar that “simple”? What material is it made of? How was that material made? How was the crowbar formed into the tool that is used in so many situations? How are similar crowbars (levers) used in various combinations of increasing complexity that form the various parts of machines used in our everyday lives. All this requires engineers who are competent to participate in complex engineering activities. Competence is a fundamental requirement of a complex evolving society. We have recently been informed that the South African population is approaching 60 million people. We are also told that close to 10 million are without work. Many do not have the basic requirements to live meaningful lives because of endless struggles with poverty. These Malcolm Black are complex problems requiring competent people to solve them. Professionals needed The SAIMechE has recognized the need for competent professionals to participate in the process of building a functional nation. Competence measured by objective assessment criteria that avoid any cultural, racial or gender “gate keeping” accusations. A Professional Development Programme that will enable graduates to develop the skills and levels of competence to make a valuable contribution to society has been developed. A competence developed through a guided interaction with experienced, accredited and competent mentors within commercial environments that are project oriented and deal with daily concerns and fundamental needs and issues. Candidate engineers, engineering business and society in general could benefit from this programme by giving support to it through participation, financial commitment and an awareness that without the involvement of competent engineers many of our complex societal problems may not be solved. The SAIMechE, through its numerous branches, is committed to serving the needs of its members and the community at large by providing this service.

Generally, one might think of an engineer as wearing a hard hat (a white one) and safety glasses, somewhere in a plant or construction site, carrying a set of drawings, trying to solve challenging problems or overseeing a project.  The many fields of mechanical engineering is so vast that the important or even critical roles engineers play in “less technical” environments are mostly misunderstood and overlooked. The role of engineers in supply chain and more specifically in strategic sourcing is a typical example. Supply chain offers engineers strategic roles with long term benefits to the employer opposed to the role of operations and / or maintenance engineers whose primary responsibility is to complete projects or start the plant up as soon as possible after routine maintenance.

As an engineering professional working in a design environment, awareness of engineering possibilities in supply chain was unknown.  Many companies still don’t realize the real consequences of strategic decisions taken (or not taken) in supply chain, including its effects on operations and vice versa.  The importance of having strong engineering individuals working in supply chain to make strategic technical decisions suddenly became clear as this would form the basis to ultimately reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and improve plant availability without operations realizing potential changes to past “modus-operandi”.  Time spent in a supply chain environment highlighted important responsibilities of engineers which includes: obtaining a holistic view of e.g. mechanical goods and services within the local (and if applicable international) markets to ensure best standards and practices for procurement, establishing a common strategic direction for dealing with key suppliers and stakeholders, optimizing and standardizing procurement opportunities, management and optimization of internal approved vendors/manufacturers to ensure procurement that meets the relevant health & safety standards as well as local and/or international engineering standards and specifications.  To manage this effectively, a diligent engineering thought process is required to understand the technical requirements of internal business processes.  Further support in the form of broad knowledge and background of various, different engineering standards and specifications supports regular audits on suppliers to verify compliance.  One often hears of procurement challenges such as the recent train locomotives that was procured to the wrong specifications.  One can’t then help to wonder if there were any engineering involvement in the supply chain and possible technical standardization process. 

From a maintenance point of view standardizing on specific brands of equipment (e.g. pumps, valves, filters etc.) is in most cases a good approach.  This in turn brings benefits such as minimum / critical spares coordination, stock holding benefits and strategies that supports plant availability.  On the other hand, standardization can reduce competitiveness in the market and needs to be managed carefully, as this could make the plant vulnerable by being too reliant on one or two suppliers.  A critical challenge engineers in strategic sourcing face is to find that balance between ensuring security of supply, understanding stakeholder requirements and expectations, effectively managing total cost of ownership and technical and legal compliance through correct supply chain practices and procedures.

Although the role of a engineers in supply chain might be considered as “less technical” in the mechanical engineering environment it certainly is a critical and much needed role with responsibilities and deliverables that can achieve huge cost savings benefits for any company through transparent and diligent sourcing strategies. 

Niekie Swanepoel
MSAIMechE Pr Tech Eng

In 2013, the Higher Education Qualification Framework was published that completely changed the higher education qualifications landscape in South Africa. The well-known NATED-151 curriculated NDip and the BTech will be completely phased out by all institutions by 2020 and are no longer part of the possible mix of qualifications.

The “old-style” qualifications being offered by Universities of Technology have been (or are in the process of being) replaced by an “integrated national framework for learning achievement” that includes, in the case of engineering, the introduction of the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEng Tech); Diploma in Engineering (Dip Eng), the Diploma in Engineering Technology (Dip Eng Tech) and the Advanced Diploma among a number of others. Meeting international standards he Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) has developed qualification standards for these new qualifications that are outcome-based (like the existing BEng programmes) and that meet the requirements of the International Engineering Alliance – a necessary requirement to be a signatory to the Sydney and Dublin accords. These accords (focused on Technologists and Technicians respectively) are international agreements between bodies responsible for accrediting engineering academic programmes and confirm that graduates of these programmes have met the necessary educational requirements to be registered as professional engineering practitioners.

Lack of understanding
My engagement with a cross-section of engineering professionals in recent ECSA workshops suggests that there is a lack of understanding about what this change is actually going to mean in practice. It is important to recognize that the “old” BTech and the “new” BEng Tech are two completely different types of qualifications – with different types of graduates. It is not possible to envision the level of competence of a BEng Tech graduate by drawing on one’s experience of BTech graduates. The BEng Tech is a structured, outcomes-based qualification with International Engineering Alliance-aligned graduate attributes and completed over three years; the BTech is a content-focused qualification.

In practice, the BTech often followed a NDip, together being completed in four years. The BTech and BEng Tech are therefore not equivalent qualifications simply repackaged and rebranded. For one thing, the entry requirements for the BEng Tech at National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 5 are typically higher than those for the old NDip, also at NQF Level 5.

In brief, the graduates of the two sets of programmes are very different. A fundamental difference between the old NDip and the new Diploma qualifications relates to the duration of the workplace-based learning (i.e. in-service training). In years gone by, graduates of Universities of Technology could be assumed to have been exposed to a minimum level of practical workplace-based experience. This requirement is now significantly reduced in the new Diploma in Engineering and largely absent in the new Diploma in Engineering Technology qualifications and the graduates of these qualifications typically graduate with far less practical workplace-based experience.

The Universities of Technology indicate that the intention is to have different work-integrated learning modalities scaffolded into the curriculum of these new Diploma qualifications, but time will tell how well this is enacted.

The consequence of this transformation in the qualification landscape is that companies that employ graduates with a BEng Tech must be aware that they can no longer assume that these graduates will have the same level of workplace-based experience that could be assumed of the BTech graduate and will need to be inducted into engineering practice through carefully managed training programmes – much like the current Engineer in Training model that is used for BEng graduates. With the first of the “new” graduates already in the market, employers will need to reconsider just what they require from a potential applicant to demonstrate that they have met the requirements for the job.

Prof. Brandon Collier-Reed
Pr. Eng FSAIMechE

As South African engineers we are proud of our community, we have a reputation for hard work and innovation in many parts of the world, but we seem to be forgetting that our reputation is not based on what we were taught in the classroom, rather what we learnt from our betters once we leave.

In recent years there has been a strong focus on increasing the number of graduates coming out of tertiary education (at my institution there has been a 5-fold increase in output in a decade). Most of us are aware that to meet this demand academia has wrestled with many challenges resulting in updated curricula. Assessments have been streamlined and the digital era has been embraced. Contemporary graduates have a range of classical skills that will be familiar to the old guard but have also accrued a range of new skills. Some institutions have even begun emphasizing the ever illusive 'soft skills'; that the public at large wants us to have. The question here is; now what?

However good your formal education is, it is incomplete. Young engineers move out of the classroom and join other practicing engineers. Only here do they learn the values of our industry: honesty, integrity, responsibility, inclusivity, continuous development and professionalism. These attributes are passed down from generation to generation. The older generation either mentored the new graduates directly through EIT programs or indirectly through their interaction with new graduates. In this way we have built a culture of engineering.

In a recent news article Consulting Engineers South Africa laments the immigration of senior engineers in the age bracket 35 to 55 and notes the ‘huge number’ of new graduates. As a community we are fast becoming bottom heavy and will reach the point where there are simply too few senior engineers to provide adequate mentorship, and our values may no longer be imparted on the younger segment of our community. With their sheer number, the newly graduated engineers will dominate how South African engineers are seen globally and their behaviour will reflect all our values.

We can no longer rely on the passive interactions of the past (or our absentee regulator) to instil the culture of South African engineering on the new generation. If we want to maintain our standards of practice and reputation, we now need to plan how new additions to our community are socialized. 

Steps in this direction have been made in other communities. In Canada for instance many new graduates choose to participate in the ‘Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer’, which in the words of Rudyard Kipling; ‘...has been instituted with the simple end of directing the young engineer towards a consciousness of his profession and its significance, and indicating to the older engineer his responsibilities in receiving, welcoming and supporting the young engineers in their beginnings.’

Members of the voluntary associations are in the best position to engage with the youth to ensure that they gain the attributes that will keep our community strong. All it takes is a little time.

Dr Martin Venter
MSAIMechE

Many of you have watched the TV broadcasts of the Zondo Commission into state capture. The terms of reference of this inquisitorial inquiry are to determine the facts regarding accountability for what had occurred and probable reasons why. The rules of procedure adopted by this Commission relate more closely to Conciliation, Mediation, and certain Adjudication dispute resolution processes.

Arbitration and Litigation procedures follow a different legal process ending with an imposed enforceable finding to settle the matter. Civil litigation is a function of our Courts in resolving disputes and enforcement of a binding solution regarding the substantive rights and duties of the parties. Court decisions and procedures are subject to considerable legal constraints, rights and precedents.

The private nature of an arbitration agreement is essentially contractual, therefore failure on the part of one party to comply with this particular contract provision carries the same penalty as any other major breach of contract. The circumstances for appealing an arbitration agreement are highly restricted. The successful party can easily obtain a court order for enforcement.

Significant advantage
The settlement of engineering and construction disputes by means of arbitration confers a significant advantage over litigation proceedings, as the choice of arbitrator can be based on technical knowledge of the type of work associated with the dispute.

Obviously this of particular importance and interest to all engineers involved in projects and design contracts. If the court appointed presiding officer cannot comprehend the engineering complexity then a just and equitable decision is unlikely.

An additional advantage of arbitration over litigation is that the process is private and away from adverse publicity. The participants also have the mutual convenience of arranging the dates, venue and times for submissions and hearings that suit themselves.

The other remedies for resolving disputes are non-statutory, which means their form and procedure is not prescribed by law, and the outcome is also not legally enforceable, unless agreed in the rules of conduct. Because these processes rely on both parties negotiating in good faith, there is always the possibility that they could be a preliminary dress rehearsal for arbitration proceedings.

Willingness
Mediation can only succeed if both participants are genuinely willing to agree upon the terms of settlement. Their joint objective must be to strive to reach a win-win rather than lose-lose scenario.  The chosen mediator is not expected or mandated to recommend or propose a settlement solution. The mediator’s core responsibility is to act as an intermediary, seeking to narrow the field of controversy by facilitating dialogue and understanding between the parties. In our country, in the context of CCMA decisions, a conciliator is expected to propose a solution to the dispute.

Because these processes rely on both parties negotiating in good faith, there is always the possibility that they could be a preliminary dress rehearsal for arbitration proceedings.

Successful adjudication depends upon selecting an adjudicator who is fluent in the language of the contract. It is also essential that the participants agree on the adjudication rules of procedure and binding outcome. Legal representation is normally excluded. The format and content of the documentation submitted to the adjudicator is a vital ingredient for discussion at the preliminary meeting of the parties. An adjudicator plays a more active and interventionist role in the proceedings compared with an arbitrator.

Graeme Lloyd
FSAIMechE. FAArb (SA)