ACTOM Power Transformers (APT) is increasing the production capacity of its Wadeville, Germiston, plant, mainly to meet the anticipated upsurge in demand expected from South Africa’s growing renewable energy generation sector.
One of the 2.7 MVA 0.69/33 kV inverter transformers produced for the wind turbines at Kangnas, Northern Cape.
APT has identified IPPs’ (independent power producers’) renewable energy projects as a growing market sector with Rounds 5 and 6 of the REIPPPP Programme gathering momentum – and recent legislative changes around power generation allowable by the private sector driving further demand for power transformers.
Round 6 of the REIPPPP, which is targeted to generate a total of 4 200 MW of power, was oversubscribed, receiving 33 solar PV and 23 wind generation project bids, totalling 9 600 MW. The projects in this round are also substantially larger than those of previous rounds due to the relaxation of cap limitations.
“All these new public and private sector projects add up to greatly increased demand for electrical infrastructural equipment. ACTOM’s Transmission & Distribution divisions are in a strong position to supply ‘balance of plant’ equipment as well,” said Steve Jordaan, Power Transformers’ Divisional CEO.
Working with its Switzerland-based transformer design partner, APT has developed a range of inverter transformers for wind and solar inverter applications and recently expanded the size range up to 12 MVA. “This is in line with the larger capacity projects that are being introduced in Round 6, compared to the earlier bid windows in the national renewable energy programme, as well as the bigger individual wind and solar generator units being brought into play in the latest round,” Jordaan added. “This application requires specific design criteria for the step-up transformers, to mitigate the effects of harmonics and dynamic response characteristics of the inverters,” he said.
For the Perdekraal and Kangnas wind farm projects developed under Round 4 of the REIPPPP, APT supplied 109 x 2.7 MVA 0.69/33 kV inverter transformers. Jordaan confirms that these have proven to be efficient and, he says, “They are completely ‘gas free’, which places APT at the forefront among local manufacturers of inverter transformers for renewable energy generation projects.
“Furthermore, APT offers the solution of combining the low voltage and medium voltage switchgear with the step-up inverter transformers in a skid-mounted or containerised configuration, which is generally preferred by developers and EPCs. This simplifies the installation of the equipment significantly and mitigates the risk of interconnecting cable faults on site,” he says.
APT’s plant expansion caters for the skid-mounted/containerised products as well as the larger inverter transformers up to 12 MVA and increases the division’s annual production capacity by more than 40%. The expansion, which includes the installation of a second vapour phase oven, additional vertical and horizontal winding machines, two additional assembly stations as well as a state-of-the-art air cushion system, is due for completion by the end of March 2023.
For more information visit: www.actom.co.za
