China wins South African locomotive order

[John Ashworth]

CSR Zhuzhou wins South African locomotive order

12 September 2012 Railway Gazette

SOUTH AFRICA: CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive has won a 2â‹…54bn yuan contract to supply dual-voltage electric freight locomotives to Transnet from late 2013, beating eight other domestic and international bidders.

The four-axle 3â‹…1 MW general freight locomotives will have a top speed of 100 km/h, equipped to work under 3 kV DC and 25 kV 50 Hz electrification.

CSR Zhuzhou said the deal announced on September 11 is its first contract to supply electric locomotives to Africa, and one of the largest locomotive export orders to be won by a Chinese firm. The company sees Africa as an important market, especially South Africa where more than 55% of Transnet’s 2 100 electric locomotives are over 35 years old.

The Transnet contract includes local production requirements, with the first locomotives to have 60% South African content. CSR Zhuzhou has invested in the development of 1 067 mm gauge bogies and dual-voltage technology, and sees South Africa as a possible base for supplying customers across southern Africa. It is also seeking to enter the electric multiple-unit market.

Chinese train maker signs South Africa contract

2012-09-10 21:46:25

BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's largest train manufacturer, CSR Corp. Ltd., on Monday announced its subsidiary company has secured a contract worth 400 million U.S. dollars to supply freight electric locomotives to South African logistics firm Transnet.

The contract won by CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. set a precedent for Chinese train manufacturers in the continent of Africa, one of the world's fastest-growing rail markets.

The electric locomotive supplied by CSR can haul freight trains at a maximum speed of 100 kmph.

According to the agreement, CSR's subsidiary will transfer technology concerning electric locomotive manufacturing to South Africa and more than 60 percent of the parts and components will be produced in South Africa.

The deal's first locomotive is expected to be delivered by the end of 2013.

As demand from developed countries stalls amid the current economic slowdown, CSR is increasingly targeting overseas market for business opportunities.

The value of existing overseas orders held by CSR stood at about 1.7 billion U.S. dollars after it won contracts from Malaysia, Turkey and Singapore in the first half of this year.

[Thomas Reyer]

Good luck for transnet with the new locos! It seems that they didn´t look across the borders for example to Namibia and its experiences with chinese diesels.

[John Ashworth]

CSR won the ＄400m order for electric locomotives from South Africa

Breaking Travel News 05/10/12

South Africa’s railway infrastructure construction and management and the freight transport are largely under the charge of the country’s largest state-owned company Transnet, which owns over 2,100 electric locomotives and 1,400 diesel locomotives. However, most are too old; up to 55% of electric locomotives have served for over 35 years in average. Product renewal and upgrading results in a huge potential for market demand.

CSR Zhuzhou has attached great importance to the African market 10 years ago, keeping an close eye on the investment plan for South African railway renewal and expansion, and addressing itself to the overcoming of technical difficulties such as the narrow gauge bogie and 3kV DC/25kV AC hybrid power supply. To win the bid, CSR Zhuzhou has set up a crack project team as early as the preparation for the bidding. After almost one year of hard work and careful planning, the team gained overwhelming advantages in localization rate, delivery date and cost efficiency, beating 8 famous rivals home and abroad at the project.

According to CSR Zhuzhou experts, the project’s locomotives are four-axle AC drive electric locomotives for freight transport, and run at a power of 3,100 kW and a maximum speed of 100 km per hour. It will use the 1,067mm meter-track bogie and the 3kVDC/25kVAC 50Hz double-current system for power supply.

CSR Zhuzhou is scheduled to export electric locomotive manufacturing technology to South Africa. The electric locomotive project that CSR Zhuzhou won will be localized over 60% in South Africa. The first electric locomotive is expected to be delivered for use by the end of 2013.

According to Xu Zongxiang, general manager and executive director of CSR Zhuzhou, the company will use the introduction of electric locomotive into the South African market as a chance to carry out extensive cooperation with local enterprises on electric locomotive, motor train unit and fitting parts.

[John Ashworth]

New Transnet locomotive tender historic: Gigaba

A consortium led by a Chinese manufacturer was announced as the successful bidder to supply 95 electric locomotives for Transnet on Monday.

"This tender is historic," Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba told reporters at Transnet Freight Rail's Capital Park depot in Pretoria.

[John Ashworth]

TRANSNET’S CHINESE LOCO DEAL CONFIRMED

On October 31, 2012 Railways Africa

Six weeks ago, on 11 September, it was announced in China that CSR Zhuzhou Electric had secured a contract to supply Transnet with a fleet of new dual-voltage electric locomotives. Railways Africa, Railway Gazette International and no doubt other media entities tried to obtain confirmation and further detail from Transnet, without success. Railways Africa was promised that Transnet Freight Rail would get back to us, but no one did.

Eventually, on 22 October, Transnet issued a statement. The following is the gist:

In all, 95 units are to be supplied for use in TFR’s General Freight Business division. The first ten locos are to be built completely in China but the rest will be assembled in South Africa, in terms of “agreed supplier development targets of 60.5% of the contract’s total value”. The first delivery is scheduled for December 2013. A figure of R2.6 billion $US300 million) is involved. The deal is with a consortium led by CSR Zhuzhou Electric.

Public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba explained to press representatives at Transnet Freight Rail’s Capital Park (Pretoria) depot that 70% of the contract is with Zhuzhou and 30% with “South African consortium Matsetse Basadi”. Exactly what the latter’s physical contribution to the project will comprise was not made clear, but Gigaba said it means that South Africa “becomes part of the global supply and manufacturing chain…. The procurement will lay a platform for a 7-year strategic partnership between Transnet and their suppliers in the locomotive cluster.”