Sparks Electrical News August 2019

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

9

ABB TO SUPPORT SOUTH KOREA’S GREENER FUTURE

VERT ENERGY HOSTS SOLAR POWER WORKSHOP VERT ENERGY recently hosted a solar power work- shop at its Johannesburg head ofces, focusing on the latest global trends in sustainable solutions for renewable energy. “This training programme, which was developed especially for our ‘Engineering, Procurement and Construction’ (EPC) contractors, concentrated on the importance of dependable power generation systems used in photovoltaic (PV) technology to convert solar energy to electricity,” says Ryan Rob- ertson, Vert Energy’s sales and marketing director. “The programme highlighted the benefits of incor- porating quality branded electric power generation products into gensets and the essential need for technically competent support, to ensure depend- able performance of every PV system. “Of particular interest to EPCs in this forum, was information about our DEIF generator controls, known globally for critical power and decentralised power applications. These components include gen- set controllers, protection relays and interfaces, as well as switchboards and panels. Advanced control technology features ensure optimum performance, high accuracy, improved safety, minimal mainte- nance requirements and reduced downtime. “The new DEIF automatic sustainable controller (ASC) – the first sustainable control solution for renewable energy of its kind – is a fully-control in- tegrated system, which provides a safe and reliable link between renewable energy inverters and tra- ditional diesel generators. This technology ensures maximum solar penetration and optimum energy savings, even during a utility failure,” says Robertson. Vert Energy teamed up with the DEIF Group over five years ago, as exclusive distributors in sub-Saha- ran Africa of DEIF power and control components for critical power and decentralised power appli- cations. Apart from solutions for solar power, DEIF power management products are used in marine and offshore applications, for wind power and die- sel control, as well as gas and hydro control. DEIF’s ‘green technology’ focuses on energy efciency, fuel optimisation and reduced emissions. In addition to DEIF generator controls, Vert En- ergy also supplies and supports the extensive Leroy Somer range of standard and adapted ac and dc motors, geared/brake motors, as well as LS variable speed drives and alternators. The company is also the authorised sales and support partner for Allight Lighting towers, API/ Covrad GT Heat Transfer, as well as ASCO auto- matic transfer switches and Avtron and Froment load banks. Vert Energy’s electro-mechanical power trans- mission systems are supported by the company’s OEM trained field services team, which offers spe- cialist services that encompass re-assembly, instal- lation and commissioning, inspections and diagnos- tics, as well as on site maintenance and repair.

systems will enable a greener and stronger grid and benefit the local population,and the millions of tourists who visit Jeju Island every year.” ABB will use its VSC technology HVDC Light® for the two converter stations. HVDC is the most efcient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to transport large amounts of electricity over long dis- tances, with minimal electrical losses of around one percent. Its compact design incorporates advanced features like regulating grid fluctuations and fast pow- er restoration in the event of an outage. These features provide economic benefits for the network operator and reliable electricity for consumers.

minimising the risk of power outages. At the Paris Agreement on climate change signed in 2016, South Korea committed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 37 percent by 2030 with Jeju Island leading the way. Jeju is one of the country’s nine provinces and its largest island. It receives most of its power from the mainland through two HVDC links that transport 700 mega- watts of electricity. “ABB is committed to supporting South Korea’s 2030 goal to a significant reduction of its carbon dioxide emissions. Our partnership with KEPCO is an important milestone towards achieving this ambition,” said Claudio Facchin, President of ABB’s Power Grids business. “ABB market-leading HVDC

Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), the country’s largest electric utility, awarded ABB Power Grids’ business a large order to build two new con- verter stations. One station on themainland converts the power from alternative current to direct current and transfers the electricity by undersea cable with almost no losses to Jeju Island, where the other sta- tion converts the current back to ac for distribution. The high voltage direct current (HVDC) convert- er stations will provide an additional 200 megawatt (MW) of power to the island, enough to provide electricity to 500 000 homes. The voltage source conversion (VSC) technology will also enable KEP- CO to operate the island’s existing interconnections more efciently by providing further stability and by

Enquiries: www.abb.com

Enquiries: www.vertgroup.co.za

Vert Energy hosted a solar power workshop at its Johannesburg head offices recently, focusing on the latest global trends in sustainable control solutions for renewable energy.

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

AUGUST 2019