Specialist fabricator, SwiftNova Engineering (SwiftNova) has been certified with ISO 3834-2 Comprehensive by accreditation body TUV Rheinlund AG. The certification is a globally recognised welding quality requirement that signifies the company’s competencies relating to the welding process from the design phase to the final handover. The certification provides client confidence in that the fabricator complies with an internationally recognised welding quality management system which is assessed and audited independently of their existing quality management system. This ensures a high-quality product output.
SwiftNova’s ISO 3834-2 certification covers the fabrication, installation and repairs related to pressure equipment such as pressure vessels, steam boilers, pressure piping, hydrocarbon storage tanks and includes ship repairs, structural fabrications and installations. The company has an extensive list of approved welding procedures in its portfolio which covers the latest edition codes of ASME IX; AWS D1.1; EN ISO 15614-1 and EN ISO 15609-1. Their competent and qualified staff, including their International Welding Engineer (IWI), are continuously working on the innovation of arc welding processes in their organisation.
Danie Otto, Director of SwiftNova said, “Having started as a family-owned business in Mossel Bay, we have over the years perfected our craft and positioned ourselves as specialist fabricators for the oil & gas and petrochemical industries. This certification, together with our ISO 9001:2015 quality management system certification, puts us in a better position to provide the best certified quality products and services in our field of expertise while complying with customer statutory and regulatory requirements. We are extremely proud of our ISO 3834-2 achievement as it serves as confirmation of our endeavours to be recognised as global competitors in our industry.”
This achievement comes off the back of another significant certification for SwiftNova; that of being certified as a Level 1 B-BBEE Contributor which came into effect during May 2021. Danie added, “This past year we’ve seen lots of positive change and are confident we will see the fruits of our labour. My team and I are dedicated to the sustainability of the business and with the support of the other sister companies within Sturrock Grindrod Maritime (SGM) Technical, we will exercise agility so we can succeed.”
In December last year, Hesper Engineering as the ship repair company in the SGM Technical Division, acquired a 51% shareholding in SwiftNova Engineering. There had been a synergy between the companies in the past and an opportunity arose which suited both parties.
Marcus Twine, CEO of SGM Technical commented, “The decision to acquire shareholding in SwiftNova Engineering was driven by their track record and reputation in the oil and gas and petrochemical markets as well as their work ethic and company culture. We saw great potential in aligning our businesses and realized there was a pool of skills we could draw across to our other technical companies within the group.”
SwiftNova was established in 1982 by Mr. J.D.T Otto who decided to seize the opportunity of the development of the oilfields in Mossel Bay. Danie Otto took over the business in 2004 after completing intensive training and gaining experience in related fields to assist with business expansion. Their clientele includes state-owned entities such as PetroSA, GTL and Logistics & Offshore/Onshore, oil majors Shell SA, Total, Astron Energy, Engen SA as well as internationally renowned shipping companies.
SwiftNova Engineering along with its sister companies Hesper Engineering, NovaMarine and UCD, make up the SGM Technical Division within Grindrod Limited. SwiftNova offers EPCM, construction, fabrication, piping, ship repair and plant maintenance services from their workshops and office in Mossel Bay and have fabrication support from Hesper Engineering in Cape Town and Saldanha as well.