Electricity + Control December 2020

ENERGY MANAGEMENT + THE INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Stabilising power supply at Dube AgriZone

Dube AgriZone in Dube Tradeport near Durban is a large- scale producer of short shelf-life vegetables for retail markets in South Africa and for export. The facility is the largest climate-controlled agricultural facility in Africa, growing crops hydroponically using advanced, soil- free processes that require significantly less water than conventional farming methods. The site covers some 16 hectares – the area of about 30 football pitches – where greenhouses, plant nurseries and laboratories are equipped with sensitive electronic instruments, pumps and fans regulating the hydroponic process. Faced with frequent voltage dips and variations in the site’s power network causing damage to expensive process control equipment and, in turn, plant outages and production losses, Dube AgriZone appointed Hamsa Consulting Engineers to solve the problem. A power quality study identified the need for voltage conditioning and ABB’s high speed PCS100 AVC-20 Active Voltage Conditioner provided the solution. Sashlin Govender, Project Engineer for Hamsa Consulting Engineers, which is an authorised partner of ABB South Africa, said: “Our benchmarking work identified the PCS100 AVC-20 as having the speed needed to give the facility the stable power its processes require. Over the first six months since installation, the AVC-20 has reduced equipment failure and process disruptions at Dube AgriZone to zero, protecting production, equipment and profits, and benefitting production efficiency.” The PCS100 AVC-20 is ABB’s proven inverter-based system for use where an unstable network or utility voltage

affects productivity. The system’s advanced control software continuously regulates the voltage, detecting and regulating even major voltage dips in less than 20 milliseconds, to ensure clean, constant power for sensitive equipment. The system allows facilities to use utility power, without the need to install battery systems or captive power plants. Ivor Becks, UPS and PCS100 Sales Specialist at ABB in Southern Africa, said: “ABB holds a leading role in power protection, providing efficient solutions that ensure industrial processes receive the continuous, high-quality power they need. Our fast, accurate voltage regulation devices protect sensitive equipment to secure productivity, and are backed by local teams of experts who help projects run smoothly, keeping the cost of ownership low.” At the Dube AgriZone Hamsa Consulting Engineers had to install the AVC quickly and efficiently to keep the plant shutdown to a strict minimum and protect the hydroponic process. Having attended technical training at ABB’s New Zealand factory, which qualified the firm to become an ABB Authorised Systems Integrator for the PCS100 range, Dube AgriZone is the largest climate-controlled agricultural facility in Africa, growing crops hydroponically. forefront of shaping the regulatory environment in their re- spective territories. By joining forces, they will drive inno- vation through knowledge sharing, adopting best practice and the exchange of information. The partnership will serve to elevate the sector and enable it to deliver on its potential to reach nearly 1 TW of global generation capacity in 2021. SAPVIA COO, Niveshen Govender says, “This partner- ship will allow SAPVIA to help our members capitalise on the significant opportunities solar PV offers. We need to create the right framework for growth, establish the right governance and renewable energy regulations and ensure industry is ready to make the step change and accelerate the growth of solar PV. “Working with SolarPower Europe we will share knowledge and global best practices with our members to develop and grow the solar PV value chain in South Africa. We will also help create new business opportunities in the European and South African solar PV markets by cooperating across a number of key areas that we believe will deliver immediate and sustainable results.” Over the next 12 months, SAPVIA and SolarPower

Knowledge sharing and best practice in solar power

Unlocking the potential of solar power and ensuring South Africa reaps the economic and societal benefits of renew- able energy took a positive step forward recently as the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, (SAPVIA) and SolarPower Europe, the European association for solar power, formed a partnership. Both SolarPower Europe and SAPVIA have been at the

The partnership between SAPVIA and SolarPower Europe will open new opportunities for growth in the solar power industry.

12 Electricity + Control DECEMBER 2020