Electricity + Control July 2015

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR

ROUND UP

Gas-insulated switchgear – more than just a cost consideration

According to Schneider Electric , the initial cost of a primary switch- gear offering, be it a gas-insulated (fixed pattern switchgear) or air-insulated (withdrawable pattern metal-clad solution), should not be the only consideration. Other factors to take into account are reliability of the switchgear, operation costs, the safety of workers, the risk of an outage and decommissioning costs. “Only by looking at the complete business picture and mainly the total cost of ownership (TCO) can a company decide which electrical medium-voltage (MV) switchgear best suits its need,” says Brighton Mwarehwa, technical manager for MV primary switchgear at Schneider Electric South Africa. The company maintains that from a management perspective, considerations include the purchase price, the life expectancy of the switchgear, the size of the equipment, the amount of time to install and commission the switchgear, worker safety, outage risk, maintenance, and reliability. From an operational standpoint, training time, accessibility of the equipment, operating costs, decommissioning costs, and support must all be factored. “Schneider Electric South Africa is often asked about the cost of a primary gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) solution in comparison to other MV solutions.When considering costs though, it is important that the customer look at expenses over the lifespan of the equip- ment rather than upfront costs,” says Mwarehwa. The company’s GIS offering suits a wide range of requirements and applications in public and industrial distribution networks,

renewable energy projects infrastructure projects, mining, metal- lurgy, petrochemical, oil and gas industries, railways’ traction power supply, container stations and ship-building. “As an efficient, smart and safe product line, our GIS solutions receive special interest as they are made from almost 100 % recyclable material and some of the high performance panel de- signs take up to 25 % less space than the average GIS product. Its ergonomically designed control panel also draws much attention for its simplicity and ease of use, something that is invaluable in an emergency situation. Cost alone should not remain an ultimate decision-making factor,” he says. Enquiries: NtombiMhangwani.Tel. 011 254 6400 or email ntombi. mhangwani@schneider-electric.com

ABB SACE legacy switchgear; can operational life be extended?

Certainly.

Many SACE air circuit-breakers have been installed in South Africa since their introduction in the early 1980’s. Durable construction and superior design keeps them functioning, however service is required to keep them functioning optimally. For additional information: www.abb.co.za/lowvoltage/service

ABB South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Low Voltage Products and Systems

Tel. +27 10 202 5880 E-mail: LP@za.abb.com