A specialist for major composite repairs in Angola

Angola

Luc Defforey, managing director of Alliance Ambiental Angola (3A Services), talks to The Energy Year about the company’s recent growth, its technology partners, how it is strengthening its technical offering and what its next milestone will be. 3A Services specialises in composite repair and emergency leak-sealing.

What has driven your growth over the past year?
We have recently experienced rapid growth, mainly due to the launch of major new projects. These required intensive mobilisation efforts and the quick setup of operational bases, involving significant resources and coordination. This momentum has helped strengthen our position in the local market, especially in high-value maintenance and repair services.

Can you expand on what the scope of these services includes?
Our core activity is composite repair, which involves reinforcing corroded or leaking pipelines. We apply a specialised wrap that restores the structural integrity of the pipe, extending its lifespan without full replacement. A major benefit of our solution is that it can often be applied without interrupting production, avoiding costly downtime.

Who are you working with on the technology side?
Our primary partner remains 3X Engineering, which forms the backbone of our service offering. We also collaborate with MontiPower, which supplies application tools, and Allter, whose anti-corrosion coatings protect our repairs against UV damage. These partnerships enable us to bring reliable and innovative solutions to the field.

Looking to the future, what are you working on to strengthen your technical offering?
We are working on enhancing our technical capabilities in a targeted way. This includes improving how we validate and monitor the effectiveness of our repair work over time.
The goal is to provide our clients with increased confidence in the long-term performance of our solutions, without relying solely on external data. We are exploring advanced tools and partnerships to support this effort.

What operational changes has the company undertaken?
We’ve expanded our workforce and focused on training local staff. This is both a national development commitment and a long-term quality investment. We also moved our Luanda office to a new location better suited to our growing operations, marking a symbolic step in our current growth phase.

Are you looking to expand beyond Angola?
There is regional potential, especially in neighbouring countries. However, our expertise lies in ageing infrastructure interventions, and in some areas, facilities are still too new to require our services. For now, our focus remains on strengthening our operations where the need is most immediate.

What’s the next milestone for 3A Services?
We are launching a new project with a major industry player. This initial phase may evolve into a broader collaboration. We are cautiously optimistic. Our strategy is to continue enhancing our technical capabilities, tailoring our methods to market needs and positioning ourselves as a reference in our niche.

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