Current
Light
& Product News
Bizz Buzz
I
ntense competition for a major contract by Eskom for the manufacture and sup-
ply of medium voltage motors to replace most of the aging units operating in
its coal-fired power plants was aroused globally when the utility invited tenders
for the contract in mid-2010. A combination of favourable factors in leading local
manufacturer
ACTOM
Electrical Machines’ bid for this highly sought-after contract
resulted in it winning it in August last year.
The contract, dubbed the Motor Upgrade Programme (MUP), is worth R130 M
and encompasses design, manufacture and supply of a total of 125 motors for
10 of Eskom’s coal-fired power stations, namely Arnot, Komati, Camden, Hendrina,
Kriel, Matla, Duvha, Lethabo, Grootvlei and Kendal.
The company commenced deliveries of the new motors in November last year
and is scheduled to complete them in mid-2014. The motors, consisting of a mix
of ACTOM Electrical Machines’ well-known UNIBOX and MS4 series customised
units, range in power from 200 kW to 10 MW and are for use in a wide variety of
applications that include ID fans, FD fans, PA fans, mills, conveyors, boiler feeds
and cooling water pumps.
TonyTeixeira, ACTOM Electrical Machines’ general manager, said an important
factor forming part of the technical qualifications that counted in the company’s
favour in being awarded the contract was the great care that was taken by its en-
gineering team in ensuring complete mechanical interchangeability between the
new and the old motors.
He also said that new motors supplied under the present contract that have
been put into operation have proven to be substantially more energy efficient than
those they have replaced. Most of the existing motors have been in operation for
over 30 years.
Enquiries: AntonioTeixeira.Tel.Tel (011) 899-1081 or email antonio.teixeira@actom.
co.za.
R130 M Eskom power plants MV
motors replacement contract
R1,9 M order from City of Cape
Town
Powertech Transformers (PTT)
recently received an order
for several 800 kVA 11 600/ 420 V miniature substations
worth R1,9 M. This order forms part of the three year con-
tract awarded by City of Cape Town of which PTT received
the bulk due to their impeccable track record with City of
Cape Town. The company was the first manufacturer to
comply with the Council’s stringent low loss requirements
for distribution transformers and miniature substations.
PTT’s Cape Town factory has been supplying distribution
transformers fully short circuit tested since the late 1990s.
Powertech Transformers has aMERSETA accredited train-
ing facility in its Cape Town premises.
Enquiries: Jacqui Burn. Email jacqueline.burn@
pttransformers.co.za.
Royal HaskoningDHV and
Philips sign contract
International consultancy, engineering and project man-
agement service provider
Royal HaskoningDHV
and
Royal
Philips
have signed a framework agreement for delivering
worldwide project management services. The services
include the deployment of Philips’ Global WorkPlace In-
novation program. Philips has approximately 1 000 real
estate locations worldwide. The project management con-
tract applies to relocations, office building refurbishment,
research and development facilities, projects at industrial
sites, environmental projects and office decommission-
ing, among others. Royal HaskoningDHV has worked with
Philips for more than 60 years, and has delivered a wide
variety of services at many of the company’s worldwide
locations.
Enquiries: Hillary Erasmus.Tel. 011 798 6511 or email
Avoid load shedding through
smart mobile technology
With the recent announcement that load shedding sched-
ules could take effect this winter, energy capacity and
consumption continues to be a key concern for South
Africa. Smart metering can help to restrict ‘load shedding’
and the potential electricity-supply constraints that are
already negatively impacting the local economy. Vuyani
Jarana, head of
Vodacom
Business said, “Locally, the
introduction of smart meters, which is legislated in the
Electricity Regulations Act of 2006, will allow the utility
to implement new business models, such as time of use
tariffs. This type of monitoring will help the utility to
reduce peak demand while end-users will start to save
money as a result of the insights gathered.”
Enquiries: Email MediaRelations.MediaRelations@
vodacom.co.za.
Mpho Motloung, contracts engineer for ACTOM Electrical Machines.
47
July ‘13
Electricity+Control
