Rare Energy has moved from Alrode to Kliprivier on the R59 Corridor into a 120 000m² premises as it charts a course for further expansion.

Rare Energy is a division of the Rare Group, a company that evolved from the well known Van Leeuwen Pipe into the multifaceted Rare Group, a listed entity on the stock exchange. Growth over the last number of years has been from a single component supplier in the form of seamless steel pipe to the Energy and Mining sectors, into one of the largest solutions providers to the Water, Process, Energy and Mining sectors. Rare, through its various divisions, is involved in training, design, manufacture, distribution, sales, construction and maintenance in the fluid conveyance industry.

“Rare’s Energy division outgrew its old facilities and started investigating new premises more than two years ago. Careful evaluation of various site options indicated the R59 Corridor to be one of the most exciting development regions in Gauteng with a potential for growth similar to Midrand,” states Rare Energy MD Karin van Heerden.

Rare’s Financial Director Pierre Willemse states, “The R59 has good connectivity between all major nodes and a purposeful interaction between them and provides Rare with a key link between Pretoria, the Greater Johannesburg area and all other major routes in the province and leading to all major cities in the country. Running through populated and developed areas; the Corridor has the capacity to accommodate higher urban and economic densities and is attracting many companies including multinational companies such as Heineken who is in the process of building the largest brewery in Africa in Kliprivier”

“Kliprivier is one of the tertiary nodes on the R59 and is seen as a prime area for intensification of business and commercial use. Rare’s move therefore is an economical ansd trategic sound one”, confirms Pierre

Rare Energy’s core business is Supply Chain Management in the fluid conveyance industry and therefore warehousing, storage of pipe, valves, fittings and other components and the management of the flow of these components are critical to its business.

The Rare Group’s CEO, David Scheepers says that, “The Kliprivier site provides Energy with sufficient storage space and also the laying out and the most efficient handling methodologies for these components. Of significance is the fact that the R59 Corridor connectivity allows Rare to plan the most optimum route to its markets relative to the traffic conditions and also taking into account load shedding and its impact on traffic flow.”

“Other divisions within the group have also outgrown their manufacturing and/or storage facilities and are in the process of being accommodated at Rare’s new Kliprivier site. Rare Water for instance will be taking up a factory facility on the Kliprivier site to manufacture its repair clamps and to expand its fabrication capacity for the water, mining and energy sectors. In addition, Rare Water will be utilising the Kliprivier site to store ductile iron pipe and PVC and HDPE pipe for distribution to Gauteng, Freestate, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo provinces” confirms Pierre.

Rare Chemical, another division within the Rare group will be utilising the Kliprivier site as a warehousing facility for the distribution its Simona range of plastic fittings and pipeline components.

Since the beginning of February, Rare has been conducting training on its Kliprivier site and intends to grow the training facility to a fully fledged academy with accommodation for students and with laboratory and workshop facilities to conduct hands on training.

“Rare’s vision is to be the largest fluid conveyance solutions provider to the African continent. The move to Kliprivier is part of this vision where training, maintenance, manufacturing, distribution and sales are consolidated on one premises, giving the market the best and most efficient possible service from one source”, concludes David