Electrical Power & Protection


ABB cuts downtime at oil facilities

November 2015 Electrical Power & Protection

ABB has announced that it is supplying an integrated intelligent energy management solution to Petroamazonas EP, Ecuador’s state-owned oil company, helping it gain up to an extra week of productivity annually by avoiding unexpected generator shutdowns. Petroamazonas is installing ABB’s Emax 2 air circuit breakers with integrated power management in four new facilities across Ecuador where diesel generators supply electricity for essential plant processes such as pumps and drills.

Maintaining continuous energy supply and process up-time are key success factors in the oil and gas sector. ABB’s Emax 2 supports this by accurately protecting and supporting the balance between power consumption and power supply. Emax 2 protects the power network, and its integrated communication modules also connect with Petroamazonas EP’s local control systems, giving operators real-time access to energy consumption data. Through a remote diagnostic function it can interface with the plant’s central intelligence to keep operations running smoothly by using preventive maintenance.

“ABB developed Emax 2 to monitor and control power networks automatically, because energy management should be simple,” said Giampiero Frisio, global managing director of ABB’s Breakers & Switches business. “With sensing, communication and new advanced protection capabilities built in, our solution improves productivity and energy efficiency. For its communication capabilities, it is also a great example of the Internet of Things, a crucial element of our Next Level strategy.”

Petroamazonas is using the latest technologies and global standards of quality to optimise oil production in Ecuador. ABB’s engineers have worked closely with the customer to develop a tailor-made intelligent solution that meets the demands of its challenging operating environment to help reduce non-productive time at the facilities. As part of its Next Level strategy, ABB seeks to expand deployment of its leading-edge devices in industries including oil and gas to help customers increase their flexibility, productivity and competitiveness. Emax 2 embodies this strategy because of its capability to be installed in the most advanced and intelligent plant networks and smart grids.

For more information contact Paul Louw, ABB South Africa, +27 (0)10 202 5916, [email protected], www.abb.co.za/lowvoltage



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Power supply with scalability optimised
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric has introduced the Easy UPS 3-Phase Modular to the South African marketplace. This robust uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is designed to protect critical loads while offering third-party verified Live Swap functionality.

Read more...
Prioritising arc flash safety
Comtest Electrical Power & Protection
Comtest has developed a range of thermal imaging and wireless testing tools from Fluke, designed to ensure safety is the top priority for engineers working in potentially dangerous arc flash zones.

Read more...
Monitoring the voltage drop in cables
Turck Banner Southern Africa Electrical Power & Protection
With its new M12Plus connectors, Turck Banner is directly shifting the condition monitoring of cables subject to severe stress to the connection technology. The connectors, which come with voltage and current monitoring and a Bluetooth chip, enable measured voltage and current values to be sent wirelessly to a controller.

Read more...
Mesh networks: a multidirectional electrical superhighway
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
Today, many power industry stakeholders are faced with mounting requirements for improved grid reliability, resilience and distribution efficiency. It’s a challenge which requires power service providers to rethink their infrastructure. Enter mesh networks, which can overcome the limitations of traditional star networks.

Read more...
Versatile flexible copper busbar
Electrical Power & Protection
Referro Systems specialises in the supply and support of industrial electrical, automation and global software and hardware brands, and is now able to offer the Cubic range of Cu-Flex flexible copper busbars.

Read more...
Seamless automation system upgrade
ABB South Africa Industrial Computer Hardware
ABB has launched the ABB Ability Symphony Plus SDe Series, a portfolio of hardware products that help modernise existing process control system installations with minimal risk and disruption to plant operations

Read more...
Trafo Power Solutions upgrades DRC mine transformers
Electrical Power & Protection
With its experience in Africa and its agility in executing projects rapidly, Trafo Power Solutions is supplying three mini-substations and two transformers to a copper-zinc mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Read more...
Acquiring locally-manufactured transformers
ACTOM Electrical Machines Electrical Power & Protection
Speed and efficiency are of the essence in the fast-evolving power generation and distribution space; but a significant challenge is the prolonged lead times associated with acquiring transformers – key components in any electrical infrastructure.

Read more...
Seaward testers power PV specialists
Comtest Electrical Power & Protection
One of Asia’s leading clean energy specialists, Solarvest, uses the latest electrical safety test equipment to ensure the solar photovoltaic (PV) installations it services and maintains operate at peak performance levels.

Read more...
Multi-purpose contact block
Electrical Power & Protection
The TME catalogue has been expanded to include products from Schlegel. This German, family-owned company has been specialising in the production of high-quality electromechanical components for almost 80 years.

Read more...