BASF South Africa contributes to the training of Process Technicians

Port Elizabeth, South Africa – 31 May 2018 – Global chemical company, BASF, recently made a donation to the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) towards the upgrading of Wonderware SCADA, a Process Logic Controller (PLC) system. The system will be used to train the next generation of Chemical Process Technicians.

“It is my honor to be here today on behalf of BASF South Africa to sponsor a project that will not only benefit our company’s supply chain, but also contribute to the upliftment of skills development in our country,” said Paul Allday, Port Elizabeth Site Director of BASF’s Mobile Emissions Catalysts Division.

The upgrading the existing Wonderware SCADA system will enable students to work on real-time distributed control systems from where the students can operate the process controls on various equipment, perform cold start-ups and emergency shut-downs. Upon completion of this course, the skills gained from this hands-on training will ensure that these students are employable in the automotive industry.

BASF along with partner companies in the chemical industry - PetroSA, Umicore Catalyst SA and Heraeus South Africa - played an integral role in the development of an industry specific programme, which will ultimately see the chemical process industry’s skills being further uplifted.

The result of this engagement between these companies and the NMU was the development of a three-year National Diploma in Chemical Process Technology (CPT) which was then offered by the InnoVenton Institute at NMU from 2013. The Diploma in Chemical Process Technology will form the backbone for the development of skilled Process Technologists in South Africa.

BASF globally invests heavily on social responsibility projects, in Port Elizabeth the largest production site in the automotive industry in Southern Africa, the focus is on supporting maths and science initiatives.

Speaking at the handover of the R100 000 sponsorship, Allday said, “I am extremely proud to be associated with the Nelson Mandela University. This partnership started in 2010, the Chemical Process Technology program gives students skills and knowledge to stay ahead of the industry trends.”

Since the establishment of the CPT program, BASF has sponsored several bursaries for students to study towards the diploma. This year the company has appointed a former Chemical Process Technology student and three other students who now work on temporary contracts at the BASF Port Elizabeth site.

As the world’s leading chemical company BASF creates chemistry for a sustainable future. The company aims to contribute to a world that has a viable future with enhanced quality of life for everyone. This donation will allow the Nelson Mandela University to continue contributing towards improving the quality of education, specifically for future generations of engineers and scientists.

ENDS