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Pretoria - Businesses throughout the country are faced with shortages of liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon as supplier African Oxygen (Afrox) had to shut down one of its largest industrial gas plants a week ago owing to a leak.
The closure has already caused shortages at certain businesses, while others could soon experience similar shortages.
Afrox managing executive Tjaart Kruger said the eMalahleni (Witbank) plant in Mpumalanga would remain closed for repairs for another week.
He said the problem was caused by an internal cryogenic liquid leak.
These were unforeseen circumstances and entirely outside Afrox's control, said Kruger. They affected the production of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon.
The company has already informed its consumers that they will not receive their promised supplies.
In an attempt to lessen the effect, product is being brought in from other South African plants.
Afrox has 11 strategically situated works throughout the country, but these do not have sufficient capacity to meet national demand.
Afrox declined to disclose the extent of the shortage.
Kruger says companies are advised to obtain alternative products from Afrox competitors Air Products and Air Liquide.
Afrox's first priority is the supply of oxygen to hospitals, the company points out.
An industry player in Pretoria says his company requires a tonne of oxygen a day for smelting steel at one of its works.
The group had sufficient stock up to Wednesday. The plant could therefore grind to a halt if it did not obtain alternative supplies, leading to sales losses of R300 000 a day.
James Herbert, procurement general manager at Medi-Clinic, says the impact of Afrox's supply problem will depend on how long it lasts.
Afrox and Air Liquide are Medi-Clinic's biggest suppliers of oxygen.
Medi-Clinic hospitals have bulk oxygen tanks, as well as reserve facilities. They can consequently operate for a reasonable period without problems.
Netcare also uses another supplier of oxygen.
Karin Prins, director for Netcare's north-eastern region, says her hospital group also has both bulk oxygen tanks and bottled oxygen banks available to cater for shortages.
Hospital Association of South Africa CEO Kurt Worrall-Clare says the association has so far had no complaints about possible shortages of oxygen.
Afrox points out it has a large team working on the problem.
The cryogenic leak within the air separation unit damaged the covering and isolation of its cooling vessel.
Afrox says this is the first time that has encountered this situation at the plant, and the cause is being investigated.
Kruger explains that before engineering work could take place, the plant first had to be defrosted. This took three days.
Repairs are expected to take four days, after which cooling down and switching on the plants will take another four days.
- Sake24
