Globally, there is a shift towards renewable energy. In order to achieve the climate goals, in addition to adding solar and wind capacities to the generation mix, it is imperative to adopt sustainable practices as well. The introduction of an electric transformer specifically designed for solar parks that functions with biodegradable fuels, produces lows CO2 emissions and requires fewer materials for its construction will revolutionize the transformers of the future. This transformer is going to be deployed in Spain as part of the VIDCO solar plant currently under construction. It has been designed and developed by a joint collaboration between WESTRAFO, EUROLAM, Technology-DTV and the Engineering division at EGP. This will result in savings of more than 45 metric tons of CO2 and 14 tonnes of various raw materials including iron, aluminum and insulating papers used for the construction. Use of Natural Ester Cargill FR3 as the insulation fluid will remove leakage and fire risks associated with mineral oil and enhance the ability to withstand higher temperatures.
It is interesting to note that Spain has a negligible installed base of ester filled transformers. If other installations of sustainable transformers with ester as the installation fluid follow suit, this could signal a changing trend in the country.
Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Germany and other European countries impacted by the natural gas crisis have accelerated their efforts to add renewable capacity. We can expect an increased focus on solar plants in this region as the countries work to reduce their dependence on fossils and natural gas for power generation. Hence there is a lot of potential for these transformers by EGP to be adopted.
EGP is not the only company developing sustainable transformer solutions. SGP-SMIT has developed a medium power transformer with a core made of steel electrical steel strip, the production of which generates only half of the CO2 emissions previously produced. This transformer has been dispatched to be installed by Enexis Groep in Netherlands.
Transformer manufacturers are increasingly becoming conscious of their role in achieving climate and sustainability targets. We can expect similar solutions to be offered by other suppliers in the future.
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