Croatia is producing a 260 MVA transformer
The transformer works in Croatia is producing a 260 MVA transformer for the 400 MW Plamiet pumping power station near Cape Town and six 450 MVA power transformers for the Arnot coal-fired plant, whose output is 2100 MW. Many of the power plants are located near South Africa’s lignite mines about 200 kilometers northeast of Johannesburg.
Siemens supplies power transformers for the modernization of several South African power plants
Order valued at over EUR 30 million
/noticias.info/ Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution (PTD) is to supply eleven power transformers worth over EUR 30 million at large for the modernization of several coal-fired power plants and a pumping power station in South Africa. The customer is Eskom, the state-owned power utility. As in other parts of the world, many power plants in South Africa have reached the end of their service life and are in need of an overhaul and modernization. This work also involves replacing the old transformers. The equipment in question was installed in the seventies and is now, on average, 30 years old. The first transformers will be delivered from December 2005; commissioning will begin in February 2006.
For this modernization order, the Siemens transformer works in Nuremberg is manufacturing an 850 MVA power transformer for the 3708 MW Lethabo coal-fired power plant, two 770 MVA transformers for the Tutuka coal-fired plant (3654 MW) near Sasolburg and a 770 MVA power transformer for the Duvha coal-fired power station (3600 MW) near Witbank. The transformer works in Croatia is producing a 260 MVA transformer for the 400 MW Plamiet pumping power station near Cape Town and six 450 MVA power transformers for the Arnot coal-fired plant, whose output is 2100 MW. Many of the power plants are located near South Africa’s lignite mines about 200 kilometers northeast of Johannesburg.
Last year, Siemens received an order from Eskom to supply three 220 MVA generator transformers for the Hendrina power plant northeast of Johannesburg, another plant currently undergoing modernization. The transformers were delivered in March and April of this year.
Power utility Eskom sets great store in the quality of the new transformers, since the transformers need to be replaced in South Africa but not just because of aging of the cellulose insulation of the coils. The transformers are exposed to additional strain caused by solar winds initiated by large plasma eruptions occurring on the surface of the sun and shooting through space. Very large and frequent eruptions occur approximately every twelve years. Areas particularly affected include regions near the poles such as South Africa. There, the solar winds induce direct currents in the long overhead lines between 10 and 100 A on the earth’s surface that flow through the connected transformers and cause magnetic saturation in the transformer core. This results in local overheating of the core and coils. It has happened on many an occasion that the solar wind phenomenon has caused total failure of a transformer. For this reason Siemens has designed and built transformers which conform to these requirements.
Gert Coetzee, Corporate Consultant at Eskom Generation commented: "The main reasons for placing the order with Siemens were not only the high quality of the transformers but also their competent consulting and short delivery times." Markus Harlinghausen, Vice President at Siemens PTD Transformers stated: "An important component of our consulting activities was the two-day South African Transformer Symposium staged for the second time at the beginning of April at our branch in Johannesburg." The speakers were experts from our German transformer works in Nuremberg and Kirchheim, as well as from plants in Croatia, Portugal and the USA. Over 70 customers took part in the event, which proved to be a real success.“
Eskom is Africa’s largest electricity supplier and covers 63 per cent of the continent’s demand. Eskom is the world’s seventh-largest power utility and supplies 95 per cent of the power consumed in South Africa. The power generation division operates 20 power plants with a total output of 41,830 MW.
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