MINING ENERGY
meant that the manufacturing processes are the same and similar . These facilities already complied with WEG best practices , and Juliano Vargas , Zest WEG Group Logistics and Operations Director , says that some had done so for more than 20 years .
A suite of structured transformer maintenance programs that allow customers to protect these assets from degradation is an important valueadded service offering from WTA
critical market sector and increasing our local manufacturing base was a strategic move that will see greater involvement from Zest WEG in this industry ,” Meiring says .
Zest WEG Group is owned by Brazil-based WEG and this significant investment in local manufacturing highlights WEG ’ s financial
The BKS in-house laboratory has been accredited by LOVAG . BKS is now able to carry out authorised tests for lifting , ability to withstand mechanical loads , clearances and creepage distances , dielectric properties , temperature rise limits and electromagnetic compatibility . This , it says , puts BKS ahead of its competition in the ability to provide testing for projects and enhance R & D efforts . BKS offers cast resin busbar systems for low and medium voltage . It has expanded its portfolio and in the future will deliver coloured busducts by request
commitment to its local operations . Meiring says the acquisition was in line with the international player ’ s intention to expand its global network of businesses and manufacturing plants . The WEG Group aims to increase its sales year-on-year by a minimum of 17 % until it reaches an annual turnover of $ 10 billion in 2020 .
WTA operates two major facilities and is poised to reinforce its position as a leading African manufacturer of electrical equipment . WTA Wadeville produces standard distribution , power and special application transformers ranging from 50 kVA to 10 MVA in voltages up to 66 kV with off-load tap switch or on-load tapchangers . The facility also has the engineering expertise and capability to manufacture special transformers for mining , industrial , rectifier / traction , converter and thyristor drive applications . WTA also manufactures a range of mini substations . The Heidelberg facility is capable of locally manufacturing power transformers up to 40 MVA in voltages up to 132 kV as well as mini substations and moulded circuit breakers .
The most recent investment has been in best practice production control programs that will allow the Zest WEG Group manufacturing operations to improve processes thereby accelerating production and meeting shortened lead times .
In November 2015 , a team of skilled practitioners from WEG Brazil visited the South African facilities to assess these operations and establish the status compared to WEG global best practices in manufacturing . This took place over a three week period to ensure in-depth assessment of all four facilities .
Comparisons were done with WEG facilities in Colombia , Brazil and Mexico . These operations produce the same or similar products which
Energy storage redT took its first step into Africa recently with the arrival of two 5 kW , 40 kWh energy storage systems at a customer ’ s site in Johannesburg , South Africa . On this continent business owners and operators are now looking to safeguard their supply and provide firm power through the use of industrial-scale energy storage machines such as redT ’ s . redT has spent 15 years developing its patented Vanadium Redox Flow Battery ( VRFB ) technology which is ideal for use in weakgrid / off-grid applications . Unlike technologies such as lead-acid or lithium , it does not degrade when fully discharged and is suited to long duration ( three hours plus ) storage . This means it can handle the high volatility , high-cycling characteristics of solar PV and diesel generators . For these reasons , the system is highly robust and can be monitored remotely – reducing operating expenditure .
For these reasons , Africa is a key market for the company and the applications for redT ' s technology are wide ranging , from working alongside grid-connected solar to coupling with diesel gensets within the mining and extractives industry .
For renewable assets such as solar , the fundamental issue surrounds the mismatch between generation availability and demand . Both solar and wind energy are highly dependent on external conditions but energy demand is independent of these factors . redT ’ s energy storage machines solve this issue by allowing operators to store excess energy when generation capacity is available for use at another time , for example , at night . Using energy storage in this manner creates firm power from an intermittent , renewable energy source , providing operators with the ability to maximise their generation capacity , make savings through
84 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2016