Mechanical Technology March 2015

⎪ Special report ⎪

Above: ABB was responsible for the installation of an energy efficiency and building management system for the DEA head office building in Pretoria, South Africa, which is targeting a six star Green Star rating. Far left: New outdoor HVDC valves for the Apollo Upgrade of the Cahora Bassa HVDC link. Left: An ABB-installed PV system on the roof of the new DEA building. Viljoen sees its Microgrid technology being used to help very large buildings and small villages become self-sufficient in terms of electricity.

ABB’s global 1 000-day programmes in the company’s 2014 ‘Next level strategy’ report, Viljoen sees such technology be- ing used where villages and very large buildings can be made self-sufficient in terms of electricity. “We expect to see strong growth of self-contained systems across Africa. Microgrid solutions are about mixing efficiency and management and control system technologies with PV panels, generators and battery storage to best meet the electrical energy needs of a defined area or business,” he explains, adding that ABB has started to look at the business case for making its own Longmeadow facility into a microgrid. “While still active in the renewable energy sector, we have refocused during 2014 on the things we are best at, such as the electrical balance of plant (eBoP) and the grid connection side. We see ourselves as a supplier to EPC companies rather than a developer in our own right,” he adds. “For the Kathu PV plant in the Northern Cape, for example, we suc- cessfully supplied and installed all of the electrical and control systems equipment. He concludes: “As a power and auto- mation service provider, South and south- ern Africa are, by far, the best places in the world to be. I would choose my current position above any ABB posting anywhere else in the world,” says Viljoen. “The growth potential and opportunities for power generation, transmission, dis- tribution, rail, gas, municipal and mining infrastructure make for a very positive outlook.” q

and being specified by more and more mu- nicipalities and industrial clients,” Viljoen says, adding that this is also “a step in the right direction towards smart grids”. Turning attention back to overcoming Eskom’s current difficulties, he is confi- dent that Medupi’s Unit 6 will be brought fully online during 2015, “probably by June”. “And once the first unit is success- fully proven, confidence will rise and the other units will follow relatively quickly and successfully. Together, Medupi and Kusile will add some 9 600 MW of generation to the grid, which should take Eskom into an area where thorough maintenance of existing power stations is again possible,” he predicts. “But this is not the ultimate solution. If South Africa grows as it ought to, then power shortages are sure to hit us again. People are so focused on resolving the current crisis that we are in danger of forgetting about the long-term future,” he warns. Discussing the long-term possibility of a line coming into South Africa from hydro-electric projects such as Grand Inga in the DRC, Viljoen cites the historic success of the Cahora Bassa transmis- sion line from Mozambique. ABB is busy upgrading the HVDC substation in Tsonga, Mozambique, a converter station on the Cahora Bassa HVDC transmis- sion line. “Outside of war and flooding

incidents, the Cahora Bassa line has been a fairly reliable source of power to South Africa, and I see no reason why a link from the DRC should be any less reliable,” he says. Proposed as a NEPAD project for regional integration, a transmission line from the DRC is planned to bring power into South Africa from the Grand Inga project, which, ultimately, could gener- ate 40 000 MW from the Congo river, which drops 96 m over the Inga falls. “With political stability in the region, the political will to make this project happen is emerging. It’s sounding very positive and if it does happen in the long term, the additional capacity could result in significant improvements in power stabil- ity across the region,” Viljoen believes. Another 2014 highlight for ABB was the installation of a full building management system including PV on the roof of the new DEA building, which is targeting a six Star Green rating. “The key reason for installing PV on rooftops is to make sure that the building is as energy efficient as it can possibly be. These systems do not put electricity into the grid. Instead, they reduce peak and net draw off the grid. No storage is involved in this case, so the idea is to use the energy while the sun is shining,” Viljoen explains. Microgrids are identified as one of

Mechanical Technology — March 2015

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