Babcock has been synonymous with steam generation and boiler technology in Africa for more than 135 years. The company first established itself in South Africa in the 1890s when it supplied steam to the De Beers diamond mines — marking the start of an enduring role in the country’s energy story.
Globally, Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) are the original designers of the Babcock boiler, and pioneers of boiler and emissions-control technologies such as low-NOx burners, waste-heat recovery and advanced combustion systems. These innovations set the global standard for steam generation.
The patent refers to the innovative water-tube boiler patented by George Babcock and Stephen Wilcox Jr. in 1867.
Since its formal registration in 1946, Babcock Africa has acted as custodian and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of B&W-designed boilers across the continent. The company has ensured these technologies are successfully applied, adapted and sustained locally, playing an integral role in the construction of Eskom’s first centralised power stations at Witbank, Brakpan and Congella in the 1940s and later at Grootvlei, Hendrina, Matla and Lethabo from 1970 to 1990. Many of these units remain in service today.
Lethabo Power Station in the 2020's
In the 2000s, Babcock Ntuthuko Engineering was formed through a partnership with Sphere Holdings, becoming the empowered engineering division of Babcock Africa. Today, it specialises in lifecycle management, life-extension projects and emissions-reduction retrofits, while continuing as the OEM for all B&W boilers in Africa and for the Eskom fleet.
Project highlights include a multi-fuel fluidised bed boiler in Durban, waste-heat recovery systems in Vanderbijlpark, high-energy piping for Eskom, and refurbishment of a sugar mill in Mozambique.
More recently, Babcock Ntuthuko Engineering has expanded its environmental solutions portfolio. At a major petrochemical site, 42 B&W low-NOx burners were integrated, cutting emissions from 1 100 mg/Nm³ to 470 mg/Nm³ – well below the regulatory threshold. By August 2025, eight boilers had been successfully retrofitted, delivering up to 50% reductions. In parallel, upgrades to some of the world’s largest electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) have reduced particulate emissions far below target levels, ensuring compliance with new air-quality standards.
Babcock Ntuthuko Engineering teams working on site at Lethabo
Beyond technology, Babcock invests in South Africa’s people and supply chains. The company provides more than 200 bursaries and apprenticeships annually, supports youth- and women-owned SMEs, and partners with the Presidential Employment Stimulus to rebuild artisan skills. This localisation strategy ensures that global innovation is embedded in South Africa’s economy, creating long-term value in jobs, skills transfer and inclusive growth.
Babcock Ntuthuko Engineering delivers lifetime engineering - safe, efficient and sustainable solutions that continue to power South Africa’s energy and industrial future.
““The story of South Africa’s boilers is not just about technology - it is about people. For more than a century, Babcock has combined global innovation with local skills, creating jobs, transferring expertise and sustaining industries.”
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Thava Govender - CEO - Babcock Ntuthuko Engineering
