As South Africa's ageing energy infrastructure nears its shelf life, GE Consumer & Industrial is providing ongoing technology solutions that will not only keep the lights burning, but will also breath new life into some of Eskom's older Power Stations.
In a recently awarded contract, GE Consumer and Industrial will soon be replacing the Common Plant Motor Control Centres at Arnot Power Station. As one of the original 'six packs' built outside Middleburg during the economic boom of the 1960s, Arnot --with a total installed capacity of 2100 megawatts - remains a vital contributor to the country's energy grid.
"As many of our Power Stations were built in the 1960s and 1970s," explains Barkhuizen, "the task of replacing obsolete technology with newer safer versions is ongoing." GE has a long history with Eskom having already replaced the low voltage unit switchgear at Arnot on units 4, 5, and 6 in 1998 and the remaining units 1, 2 and 3 in 2003. This most recent contract will entail the first phase replacement of the Common Plant Motor Control Centres and Distribution Boards.
"The refurbishment work done at Hendrina, Kriel, Komati and Grootvlei is a testament to the success of our new withdrawable switchgear design," says Fred Barkhuizen, Project Manager for GE Consumer and Industrial.
The overwhelming benefit of GE Consumer and Industrial's patented withdrawable design is that replacement of the equipment can occur without having to shut down the whole plant. With winter fast approaching, and the prospect of increasing energy demand as a result, avoiding outages due to maintenance or equipment upgrades is an important factor.
Working closely with Eskom, the new LV switchgear will follow a phased installation approach that will coincide with already scheduled maintenance intervals. "While the contract was just recently awarded (in February) this year, the first MCC will be delivered by the end of March with the balance of the MCC,s by the end of June with the installation being staggered until September 2010," says Barkhuizen.
Not much has changed in the design layout of power stations in the last few decades, but as the old generation of Power Station experts diminish, GE Consumer and Industrial will continue to play a vital role in imparting new skills to Eskom's on-site crew, on how to safely operate and maintain the latest replaced technology.
"Throughout our other refurbishment contracts, we have already trained close to 60 people across the various Power Stations and during testing operations at our factory," Barkhuizen explains.
"The significance of replacing older energy technology with new, cost-effective models that are wholly South African-produced, will continue to reap benefits for the country well into the future," comments Ross Boyd, GE Consumer and Industrial business leader in South Africa.
"As GE steadily increases its footprint in the African energy sector, our wealth of expertise and technology solutions are not only proving to be cost-effective and sustainable solutions for the industry, but are also creating a new generation of energy experts through skills transfer," Boyd concludes.
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About GE - Consumer & Industrial
Industrial
The Industrial division of GE- Consumer & Industrial in South Africa is a leading supplier of products and solutions for the safe and efficient distribution of electrical power for industrial, commercial & residential facilities. The business provides products and solutions for industrial applications such as motors, drives and automation applications. Their systems and products are applicable in the iron and steel, paper and pulp, materials handling, water and public utilities sectors to mention a few.
Power Controls (the European arm of the Industrial division) operates a facility in South Africa for Low Voltage Switchgear and Motor Control Equipment, and distribution of electrical components.
Their Multilin range of equipment is widely used in the management of power systems in South Africa. The Industrial business furthermore serves the requirements of oil industry facilities in Nigeria and Angola.
About GE
GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com. GE is Imagination at Work.
Justus Waimiri
Kendal Hunt