Company News
Value versus price: why it pays for South African manufacturers to outsource boiler operations
02 March 2026
Specialist boiler operations and maintenance service provider, Associated Energy Services (AES) improved energy efficiency by 35% at a large FMCG manufacturer’s site and followed up with a 21% improvement at a second.
Industrial boiler water: close monitoring and proactive treatment protocols are critical
06 February 2026
As water treatment is a critical aspect of industrial boiler management and potentially one of the greatest operational risk points, AES relies on close partnerships with third-party industrial water treatment specialists - which act as important safety nets.
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AES improved energy efficiency by 35% and 21% at two FMCG manufacturing sites. A soya mill struggling to generate enough steam using two 20 tonne-per-hour boilers needed just one after AES stepped in. A frozen food manufacturer saved 15% in operating costs. These numbers explain why companies should outsource boiler operations to energy experts!
For AES, soft water tests on boilers provide key metrics. Multiple tests are done per shift, per boiler, per site and per day, 24/7 for 365 days a year while these assets are operating. Specially trained boiler operators are key. That is why boiler water testing is a crucial part of the course-work for a certified AES qualified boiler operator.
“We can only really tell how successful the water treatment is when the asset is taken offline for inspection. However, because these are only done periodically, it is critical for water to be carefully and accurately managed in between. Otherwise, one could be in for some nasty surprises!”
Emissions pressures not just hot air, but expert insight keeps companies out of hot water, says AES
13 January 2026
The emissions landscape is in a state of flux, with local manufacturers facing rising carbon taxes and first-world economies tightening content controls and restrictions warns Dennis Williams, Commercial Director of steam and boiler operations and maintenance service provider, Associated Energy Services (AES).
AES: Partnering with thermal energy users to recover condensate and waste heat
24 November 2025
Strong partnerships with thermal energy users optimise opportunities to benefit from condensate return (CR), waste heat recovery and the prevention of system contamination says steam and boiler operations and maintenance service provider, Associated Energy Services (AES).
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Thermal carrier choice and management across multi-use sites
20 November 2025
When it comes to making the correct choice of thermal carrier for production optimisation, boiler operations and maintenance service provider AES’s Commercial Director Dennis Williams believes many questions must be asked: “These include how the energy is being used, if its supply should be outsourced, and if it is the right fit for every manufacturing process,”
AES makes a solid case for coal and biomass as fuel source options
03 November 2025
Solid fuels such as coal and biomass (for example, wood chips) are both cost-effective and readily available fuel source options. However, both come with unique benefits and challenges says specialist steam and boiler operations maintenance and service provider, Associated Energy Services (AES).
The choice of thermal carrier is critical to ensure optimal manufacturing and processing says AES
01 October 2025
Historically steam, fuelled by coal, has been the most prevalent thermal carrier in South African industry. However, according to Dennis Williams, Commercial Director of boiler operations and maintenance service provider AES, times are changing, with the manufacturing and processing sector needing to review the energy reticulation systems and thermal carriers currently in use.
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Addressing the challenges of cost and sustainability in the food and beverage sector
08 September 2025
FOOD and beverage companies are under increasing pressure from both holding companies and retailers to embrace sustainability whilst still containing food prices, according to Dennis Williams, commercial director of Associated Energy Services (AES), a leading operations and maintenance service provider to the steam and boiler sector.
Managing dynamic steam plant operation on a multi-user site requires technical skill and strong relationships
05 September 2025
In an ideal world, a single steam user has consistent load demand and operates continuously. However, reality is rarely this simple - and managing a dynamic steam plant operation featuring multiple users requires strong technical skills, good communication and close attention to optimise results..
Biomass is building up steam - Local interest in using biomass for industrial thermal applications is growing
04 August 2025
Pressure is mounting for local manufacturers to swap fossil fuels for biomass to reduce their carbon footprints and mitigate carbon taxes.
Partnering with AES to solve the thermal combustion puzzle and achieve optimised energy plant
2 July 2025
Although fuel cost has a significant impact on steam generation, it is just a part of the overall value chain – a single piece in a broader puzzle.
AES proves that proactive energy management pays off!
12 June 2025
35% reduction in fuel use and associated CO2 emissions, improved availability and reduced steam costs....
AES: Steaming ahead with boiler skills development
29 April 2025
Expert steam and boiler operations and maintenance service provider AES is very focused on safety, quality, technology advancement and the development of human capital. As such, the company invests heavily in training and the promotion of talented people on an equal opportunity basis into the industrial operations environment.
‘On the boil’: AES assists industry with the correct boiler selection for optimal thermal energy performance
07 April 2025
The changing world of boilers means companies wishing to improve their thermal energy efficiencies - while containing costs and environmental impacts - must make careful and informed decisions, advises Dennis Williams, Commercial Director of expert steam and boiler operations and maintenance service provider, Associated Energy Services (AES).
The thermal combustion ‘balancing act’: AES analyses the implications of a fuel source switch
24 February 2025
From carbon taxes to export tariffs, cost containment to security of supply and sustainability, companies are under increasing pressure to switch to greener fuel sources. However, warns leading steam and boiler operations and maintenance service provider, Associated Energy Services (AES), this pivotal change has some potentially serious knock-on effects.
Steam: an enduring and effective heat transfer mechanism with myriad applications
05 February 2025
The use of steam for industrial purposes dates back to the Industrial Revolution and, even in the wake of the fourth industrial revolution and with the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), steam boilers remain the unsung heroes of contemporary production and the ‘chameleons’ of manufacturing, as a recent blog describes them.
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AES and the great decarbonisation debate - Providing powerful assistance with carbon footprint reduction
20 January 2025
Although many manufacturing and industrial companies have stated objectives to reduce use of fossil fuels, there are not yet any silver bullets in the green fuel space, says Dennis Williams, Commercial Director at steam and boiler operations and maintenance service provider, Associated Energy Services (AES).
AES: Clarifying boiler water treatment - Essential to ensure effective heat transfer and energy managements
11 December 2024
Poor boiler water treatment is the primary cause of poor boiler performance, according to Chris Paterson, Managing Director of specialist operations and maintenance service provider to the steam and boiler sector, Associated Energy Services (AES).
Boiler update project by AES at food processing plant worth its salt, transforming production process
26 November 2024
The replacement of 78 year-old boilers at a Western Cape food processing plant by leading boiler operations and maintenance service provider Associated Energy Services (AES), has not only proven to be a worthwhile investment for the client, but has transformed their entire production process.
Control systems and remote monitoring systems: partnering to ensure boiler safety and efficiency
24 October 2024
Control systems, together with AES’s Remote Monitoring System (RMS) play a vital role in ensuring the safe and smooth operation of boilers.
Fuelling progress: AES advises local industry on how best to benefit from biofuels
30 September 2024
Quite often the available information on biofuels is varying and it can be difficult to get the facts - based on experience - to support a decision. Therefore, a local energy optimisation partner’s knowledge can be invaluable...
Green taxes and the need for load-balanced, smarter steam says AES
12 August 2024
Whether it is the South African government’s recently signed carbon tax legislation, or the advent of ‘green’ import taxes imposed by the European Union (EU), South Africa’s manufacturing sector faces considerable sustainability challenges..
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AES: Energy assessments provide powerful insights which ‘fuel’ change
07 July 2024
When a production or manufacturing facility is built, everything is new and operating optimally. Over time, equipment deteriorates - or modifications are made with the best intentions, but not always with energy efficiency in mind.
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AES: a ‘paper trail’ of successful energy optimisation in South Africa’s pulp and paper sector
8 May 2024
Thermal energy plays a pivotal role in both the preparation of raw materials - and the pressing and drying of the fibre layers - which ultimately forms the 3.8-million tonnes of paper products produced in South Africa each year.
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Maintaining efficient steam
systems in the dairy industry
7 May 2024
As a leading service provider of operations and maintenance for industrial steam and boiler systems, Associated Energy Services (AES) plays a key role in the dairy industry, assisting it in achieving optimum performance in energy efficiency, reliability and sustainability.
Where the rubber hits the road: AES gets rubber manufacturers on the path to sustainable energy optimisation
22 April 2024
For decades, South Africa’s rubber has been a major material used in both the mining and automotive sectors. Now, with increasing pressure to address energy usage and optimisation, the intervention of Associated Energy Services (AES), a leading operations and maintenance service provider to the steam and boiler sector, could be a game changer.
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Energy efficiency and sustainability placed at the top of the menu
4 April 2024
As one of the country’s largest thermal energy users, Williams believes food and beverage producers need an energy management ally to reduce input costs while also addressing their specific requirements.
AES: making a material difference through energy optimisation in the textile sector
15 March 2024
A change of fortunes for South Africa’s beleaguered textile sector depends on many factors – and leading operations and maintenance service provider to the steam and boiler sector, Associated Energy Services (AES), can make a material difference to its future success.
AES: branching out with energy plant and biomass optimisation in the timber sector
15 February 2024
Large timber and paper companies have led the way when it comes to generating their own power using steam turbines. Today, the timber sector can not only generate its own power using internally-generated by-products - but can also create a whole new income stream from this biomass......
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Load-balancing helps optimise steam operations
2 February 2024
When managing the delivery of steam at a site using solid fuels, the key is to understand that the combustion of solid fuels reacts more slowly to changes in demand than boilers using liquid or gaseous fuels.....
AES: powerfully positioned to provide impactful energy generation
15 January 2024
As one of South Africa’s leading operations and maintenance (O & M) service providers to the steam and boiler sector, AES occupies a flexible niche where it can optimise existing power infrastructure for heavy industries, while charting gradual sustainability transitions which match clients’ risk profiles and commercial drivers....
The chemistry of energy: AES ensures cost-effective and energy-efficient operations and
maintenance in the chemical sector
12 December 2023
Anything that we can do to help manage inflationary pressures, and to ensure a manufacturer can get their products to market cost-effectively - so that their customers can affordably access what they need - is always a good thing....
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Thermal solutions increase efficiency
10 November 2023
An integrated site energy management plan is strongly advised amid South Africa’s power constraints, as it demonstrates opportunities – such as integrating electrical and thermal systems – to increase overall energy efficiency, says steam and boiler operations and maintenance service provider Associated Energy Services (AES).
AES places energy efficiency at the top of the menu in the food and beverage sector
08 November 2023
South Africa’s food and beverage sector plays an important role in maintaining food security. Conversely, this energy-intensive industry is under considerable pressure from retailers and consumers alike, to absorb ever-growing input costs and help curb rapidly increasing food price inflation......
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AES: putting the benefit back into ore beneficiation for mines through optimised steam generation
13 October 2023
Efficiency, reliability, maintenance, sustainability, fuel selection and procurement are just some of the challenges facing the mining sector.....
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AES ensures that dairy energy mix and products are the cream of the crop
15 September 2023
Leading South African operations and maintenance service provider to the steam and boiler sector, Associated Energy Services (AES), has a critical role to play in supporting and assisting the dairy industry to be as efficient and sustainable as possible,.....
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Firm installs new boilers to optimise operations
01 September 2023
Energy plant operations and maintenance company Associated Energy Services (AES) is working on an operational optimisation project for a client in the fishing industry.....
Fuel type key to success
11 August 2023
With a strong focus on sustainability, a growing trend of fuel switches, opportunities for cogeneration and using by-product streams has emerged in the chemicals industry...
Sustainability spurs new trends in chemicals industry
11 August 2023
Any opportunity to manage the efficient generation and supply of energy carriers, such as steam or thermal oil, presents an opportunity to improve efficiencies in a chemical plant’s main production process, owing to chemical plants being energy intensive...
Female energy: AES celebrates gender diversity, challenging engineering sector stereotypes
8 August 2023
During August, operations and maintenance service providers to the steam and boiler sector, Associated Energy Services (AES) celebrates the pioneering, energetic women who are challenging stereotypes within the engineering and industrial space...
AES’s people: the most important asset in the delivery of energy efficiency and safety
12 July 2023
As the country’s most experienced operations and maintenance (O & M) service providers in the local steam and boiler sector, Associated Energy Services (AES) serves multiple industries...
AES fine-tunes O & M and empowers plants to work productively and cost-effectively
15 June 2023
O &M is of crucial importance at individual plant level, and this is where experienced local steam and boiler operations and maintenance service provider Associated Energy Services (AES), is well able to hold its own.
Control project improves boiler efficiencies
9 June 2023
Experienced boiler and energy plant operations and maintenance service provider Associated Energy Services (AES) is currently monitoring the performance of a recently completed project that included programming and control system intervention as well as the upgrading of a boiler control system for a fast-moving consumer goods client.
AES assists industrial and manufacturing plants to optimise energy usage while going ‘greener
17 May 2023
The debate around ‘green’ versus ‘greener’ energy - in other words, ‘green’ energy usage versus the optimisation of energy efficiency - is a critical question for industrial and manufacturing plants today.
Service provider helps plants improve efficiency
12 May 2023
The drive towards reducing carbon footprints while remaining sustainable and profitable operationally and financially has become a priority for the manufacturing and industrial sectors.
Keeping the wheels of industry turning by energy optimisation
12 April 2023
The optimisation of energy production processes is crucial in keeping the wheels of industry turning as the local manufacturing and industrial sector continues to be challenged by the ongoing power crisis and struggling economy.
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