Mechanical Technology September 2016

⎪ Power, energy and energy management ⎪

Commercial operation for Eastern Cape

C ennergi was selected as the preferred bidder for two wind projects under the second window of the South African government’s Renewable Energy Inde- pendent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). “The commissioning of the Tsitsikamma wind farm fulfils Exxaro’s vision of extending its position in the en- ergy value chain beyond coal. In addition, it is a tangible commit- ment to our environ- mental stewardship to reduce the impacts of carbon emissions in the medium-to-long term, while addressing the country’s short-term electricity needs,” said Exxaro CEO Mxolisi Mgojo on commer- Above: The Amakhala Emoyeni project involved the installation of 56 Nordex 2.4 MW N117 wind turbines specially developed for low-wind sites. Left: Cennergi’s Amakhala Emoyeni Wind Farm near Bedford in the Eastern Cape has 134 MW of installed capacity. cialisation of the TCWF.

Cennergi, a 50:50 joint venture between mining conglomerate Exxaro Resources and India’s Tata Power, recently achieved commercial operations for two wind farm projects: the 134 MW Amakhala Emoyeni Wind Farm Project was handed over in late July, followed by the 95 MW Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm (TCWF) on 18  August, 2016.

New Series 10 2-inch tank-blanketing safety valve A leading supplier of high-end and specialised equipment to the oil and gas industries in southern Africa – Energas Technologies – has introduced Protectoseal’s new Series 10 2-inch tank blanketing valve to the South African market. T ank blanketing is an important and effective way to prevent fires in flammable liquid storage tanks by controlling the formation of ex- maintaining a non-flammable atmosphere.” She adds, “We’ve stocked Protectoseal products for 10 years and bringing in the new Series 10 2-inch tank blanketing valve was a great way for us to offer what the 1-inch valve could not provide for larger flow applications.” ing valve comprises two separate valves working in tandem. “The pilot valve is controlled by the sensed tank pressure, and in turn, controls the opening and closing of the main valve, which provides flow into the tank from the inert gas supply,” explains Botha. “The main components of the pilot valve are a pressure sensing cham- ber and a pop- pet, which can move up and

plosive vapours or air mixtures. Blanketing minimises evaporation of the stored product, in so doing, reducing emission levels and product loss and protecting the tank’s con- tents from external contamination. Laetitia Botha, Energas Technologies product engineer, explains: “Tank blanket- ing has always been a staple in our range of safety products. It works on the basic principal of creating a blanket of inert gas in the tank’s vapour space to prevent atmo- spheric air from entering the tank, and so

A blanketing valve regulates the pressure of the inert gas layer on top of the stored liquid in a tank. The valve senses the pres- sure of the tank blanket and opens to allow in more inert gas when the pressure drops below the set pressure. In response to the pressure returning to the set pressure, the valve closes and stops the flow. The Protectoseal Series 10 tank blanket-

down. The main valve, Protectoseal Series 10 2-inch

tank blanketing valve creates a blanket of inert gas in a gas tank’s vapour space to main- tain a non-flammable atmosphere.

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Mechanical Technology — September 2016