FIVE years ago two local electrical engineers saw a gap in the market and took a leap of faith.
With only their savings and pension money, Tobias Tjimbandi, who hails from Otavi and used to be an electrical engineer at NamPower, teamed up with Alastair Aspara to see their business idea through.
“The opportunities we saw in the market, and being capable to serve it, made us competent to create Protecton Engineering Namibia,” Tjimbandi, a founding shareholder, director and the principal engineer of the company, says.
His duty is to provide solutions to clients with various electricity infrastructure challenges.
Tjimbandi teamed up with Aspara, who was the company’s managing director in 2015, to establish a proudly Namibian firm with consulting and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) capabilities, focused on modernising electricity infrastructure in the country.
Today they provide the local market with high-quality electrical power, telecommunications and industrial electronic products and solutions.
The company claims to have secured one of its biggest contracts with NamPower as part of a consortium for the supply of large transformers critical to the Namibian network.
“We haven’t looked back since. Both of us have contributed to the success of the business. We were subsequently also appointed by various independent power producers and electricity distributors,” Tjimbandi says.
They have also worked on more than eight solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, with a combined capacity of 40 MW.
They are currently constructing a 5 MW solar PV plant at Okatope in the Ohangwena region.
Other projects range from substation construction to network design, with special studies involving grid code compliance, including protection grading, harmonic content, and voltage regulation.
“We have engineering, procurement and construction capabilities and participate in the installation testing, commissioning, operations and maintenance of infrastructure like transformers, CTs, VTs, underground cables and overhead lines,” Tjimbandi says.
To overcome challenges in the industry, he suggests a more inclusive ecosystem to be cultivated to ensure sustainability.
Although the state provides incentives to ensure more players in the sector, Tjimbandi says they have achieved success because of their capabilities.
“We do not want to be seen as a firm that got the work due to procurement regulations, but because of our capabilities: to deliver quality on time and within budget. Happy clients are part of the business we are in,” he says.
Apart from providing solutions to the electricity industry, the company also grooms and develops less-experienced engineers.
They are currently hosting an assistant electrical engineer and sales engineer intern from the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
“At the end of the month, there will be various streams for high school pupils, interns, graduates, and prospective employees to apply for. This is to ensure we can provide a platform to train and inspire, and provide exposure to the energy sector,” Tjimbandi says.
Email: bottomline@namibian.com.na
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