SOUTH AFRICA – Electrical equipment manufacturer WEG, formerly known as Zest WEG in Africa, has strengthened its focus on sustainability following a year of internal brand evolution.

According to WEG Africa CEO Eduardo Werninghaus, despite the rebranding, WEG remains committed to its core values, with a renewed emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.

At a recent media event at Electra Mining Africa in Johannesburg, Werninghaus highlighted that the rebranding reflected WEG’s internal drive to innovate while addressing growing customer demand for sustainable solutions.

“We’ve revisited our approach to understand how we can better integrate ESG and sustainability into our offerings,” Werninghaus said.

This year, WEG’s exhibit at Electra Mining Africa features various energy technologies, including solar, wind, steam, and battery storage solutions.

These technologies allow customers to explore hybrid energy systems to meet sustainability and ESG objectives.

Expanding sustainable solutions

In response to customer feedback and rising stakeholder pressure for greener practices, WEG has enhanced its product portfolio to support energy efficiency and clean energy.

WEG’s solar offerings, for instance, cover every stage of PV solar generation, from energy conversion to high-voltage substation integration, facilitating seamless energy distribution.

As biofuel production gains momentum, WEG is also expanding its steam power solutions to meet this demand.

In addition, the company offers innovative technologies to boost energy efficiency, such as the WEG W23 Sync+ electric motors, which deliver up to 30% energy savings compared to conventional IE3 induction motors using frequency inverters.

Werninghaus pointed out the advantages of WEG’s frequency inverters, which enable speed variation in three-phase induction motors, a crucial factor in energy-efficient operations.

He also noted that WEG is prepared to meet future demand for battery energy storage, underscoring the company’s forward-thinking approach.

Quantifying sustainability efforts

WEG has developed the WEGSEE+ platform to help customers quantify potential energy savings. This tool allows users to predict savings by replacing outdated motors, gearboxes, and inverters, enabling them to make informed decisions about optimizing resources.

“Sustainability isn’t just about providing the technology; it’s about showing customers the measurable benefits of these changes,” Werninghaus emphasized.

As part of its sustainability drive, WEG also focuses on local production and job creation in Africa.

By producing more locally, the company reduces its carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation while contributing to the local economy and reducing customer lead times.

WEG’s South African operations include electric motor production lines in Johannesburg, automation engineering in Robertsham, genset manufacturing in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and transformer manufacturing in Wadeville and Heidelberg.

In light of South Africa’s shift towards mandatory IE3 motors, Werninghaus revealed that WEG’s Motor Division is considering an exchange program for older motors.

This initiative would accelerate the introduction of more energy-efficient motors to the market once the new regulations come into effect.

“We are committed to aligning with both global sustainability standards and local industry needs, ensuring that we play a meaningful role in helping customers meet their sustainability targets,” Werninghaus concluded.

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