Sparks Electrical News December 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

5

DRY ICE INTERNATIONAL ACQUIRES RIGHTS FOR IBL RANGE OF DRY ICE BLAST CLEANING MACHINES

SIEMENS launched a one of a kind, end-to-end Dis- tributed Energy System (DES) as a solution to tackle Africa’s energy transition, at its headquarters in Mid- rand, Johannesburg. The launch took place after an interactive discussion between Sabine Dall’Omo, Siemens CEO for Southern and Eastern Africa, and media partner CNBC Africa as well key industry players, about the role Distributed Energy Systems play in Africa’s energy transition. The system is built around a 1 MW PV-solar plant strategically positioned throughout the Siemens Park campus that takes full advantage of the Afri- can sun. Captured solar power is integrated into the SICAM Microgrid controller, while excess energy is stored in a 140 kWh SIESTORAGE installation with the entire system monitored, visualised and con- trolled via the IoT energy platform, MONET. Combining efforts from local and global Siemens experts, this is the first Siemens DES solution of its kind in Africa and is in line with the company’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 through en- ergy efficiency, decentralised energy systems, and the purchase of clean electricity. The project provides a showcase to current and prospective customers on a proven Siemens solu- tion that will help them save energy, cut costs, lower carbon emissions and ensure uninterrupted power. “Microgrids and DESs are the ideal solution for Afri- ca because they are designed for a specific purpose, be it communities or industries,” Dall’Omo says. “But it also means you can have diverse power supplies, such as solar or wind during the day, then switch over to other forms of generation like biomass when the conditions for renewables are poor.” The SICAM 8000 Microgrid Controller is the intelligence behind the system that stabilises the Siemens campus grid in case of an outage and al- lows for cost-optimised energy consumption. It took home the ‘Digital Solution of the Year’ award at the Africa Utility Week (AUW) Industry Gala Awards. Solutions in Africa for Africa The challenges currently facing Africa’s energy sec- tor are encouraging private businesses, communi- ties and educational institutions to curtail their de- pendence on the traditional, centralised model of linear power generation and delivery, and to identify efficient power generation solutions. “The DES is designed to provide uninterrupted power and ensure a steady and reliable electricity supply for the continent’s growing demand. Indus- try, hospitals, corporate parks and small commu- nities, for example, can also improve their energy costs and operations by adapting similar strategies and implementing DESs,” says Sabine Dall’Omo. Dall’Omo continues, “The system will drive down our organisation’s energy costs and cut carbon emis- sions. We have already reduced the energy demand from the national grid by approximately 40% com- pared to previous years and more savings are ex- pected with further optimisation”. In a next step, the system will be connected with the Siemens Desigo CC Building Management Sys- tem and Smart Metering network in the buildings. DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SYSTEM FOR AFRICA SIEMENS LAUNCHES A ONE OF A KIND

DRY ICE INTERNATIONAL recently acquired the distribution rights for the IBL range of dry ice blast clean- ing machines from Nitro Life. The new IBL Mini, launched by Intelblast, will be available in the first quar- ter of 2019. Dry Ice International strives to provide the best technical information and solutions for dry ice blast cleaning in South Africa, and throughout the African continent.

Enquiries: www.dryiceblasting.co.za

Enquiries: www.siemens.com