AFRICA NEWS
“The mine’s remote position, and the
difficult access road to the mining
operation, made it essential for us
to custom-design the substation and
transformers to withstand the rough
journey,” says Trafo Power Solutions
managing director, David Claassen.
According to Claassen, the
complete solution was manufactured
in a fast-track project that took only
12 weeks. This included the in-house
design of ventilation and airflow
systems to deal with the extreme
heat and humidity levels of over 90%,
as well as lighting and small power
equipment.
He highlights the suitability of
dry-type transformers to the climatic
conditions at the mine, especially their
ability to remain cool with only minimal
movement of air across the windings.
Where necessary, extremely high
ambient temperatures may require the
One of the world’s highest-grade
known tin deposits is being developed
in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, and dry-type transformers
from specialist supplier Trafo Power
Solutions are now integral to
powering this effort.
Two 3 000kVA, 400V / 11kV cast resin
transformers — housed in six-metre
containers — were recently delivered to
Alphamin Resources’ remote Bisie mine
site in North Kivu province. They will
step up the supply from the operation’s
diesel-powered generator plant from
400V to 11kV. Trafo Power Solutions
also supplied two 100kVA, 400V / 400V
Dyn11 dry-type lighting transformers for
outdoor applications.
Bisie is located about 180km north
west of Goma, in the Walikale Territory
— some 60km from the town of
Walikale and 32km from the national
route linking Walikale with Kisangani.
The mine in the ‘middle of nowhere’: the remote Bisie mine site in North Kivu
province in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dry-type transformers trek to remote Bisie tin mine
David Claassen, managing director of
Trafo Power Solutions.
employment of forced air options in
the design.
“The cast resin design of dry-type
transformers improves their efficiency
and hence their heat losses, so
cooling requirements are reduced,”
he says. “Their efficiency also means
they consume less energy, which in
this application saves on diesel costs.”
Among the advantages of dry-type
transformers is that they require almost
no maintenance and can last up to 25
years without much attention. Oil-filled
transformers, on the other hand, need
regular maintenance and sampling of
oil if they are to operate safely and
consistently. In a remote location like
Bisie mine, this advantage delivers
particular benefits to the user. Dry-
type transformers can also be installed
indoors, without the need for their own
civils infrastructure such as bund walls
and structures, as there is no oil posing
safety or environmental risks.
Supplying you with information,
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4
MARCH 2019
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