In a deal worth approximately 45-million Euro, Siemens Power Generation (PG) is to modernise Eskom's Komati coal-fired power plant with SPPA-T3000, one of the world's most advanced I&C systems. This will result in the power plant being equipped with some of the latest state-of-the-art equipment as well as seeing its service life extended by a further 15 years.
To meet the pronounced increase in power demand in South Africa, Eskom is recommissioning the power plants it mothballed several years ago. The Komati coal-fired power station, which was built back in the 1960s, is one of three power plants being recommissioned after being mothballed for an extended period.
Located southeast of Mpumalanga, the Komati coal-fired power station, with an installed capacity of 1000 MW, consists of six units. The new I&C system will extend the service life of the power station, which was only on line for five years, by a further 15 years. Recommissioning of the first unit is planned for early 2007, with work on all the units scheduled for completion by 2009.
The scope of supply encompasses modernisation of the entire I&C for all nine units with SPPA-T3000, the first fourth-generation I&C system for which Siemens PG has already secured more than 80 orders worldwide. In addition to orders from Germany, the US, and China, this is already the second order posted by Siemens PG from Eskom, a success attributable to the trust placed in Siemens technology and the economic benefits this system offers, namely enhancement of the availability and operating economy of entire power stations.
Karlheinz Springer, head of the Instrumentation & Controls Division, says the tight schedule dictated by the need to get new capacities on line quickly and reliably is a challenge for all involved.
"The trust placed by Eskom in our project management underscores the benefits offered by our strategy of time-optimised modernisation, with which we have been highly successful worldwide," he says.
SPPA-T3000 is a leading process I&C system designed specifically for deployment in power plants, as well as for power generation management. In the power plant, it covers all functions extending from boiler and turbine I&C to open- and closed-loop control of all power plant processes. It is also predicated for enterprise-wide fleet management. As the first genuine Web-based system it realises seamless integration into the existing IT environment of power producers and is capable of providing realtime information to a multitude of users. With its unique embedded-component-services technology it simplifies operation and maintenance, while its lean system architecture sustainably reduces the life-cycle costs of a power plant.
The process control system, which was specially designed for use in power plants and for power generation management, incorporates all functions from boiler and turbine I&C to open- and closed-loop control of all power plant processes. By virtue of the software structure, these systems feature high reliability coupled with high availability. With its unique embedded component services technology, it simplifies system operation and maintenance, and is tailored to precisely meet the needs of the power plant personnel. Every aspect of whatis going on at the plant can be called up by the click of a mouse, and all of its functions are built around a standardised engineering system. The software is in principle hardware-independent, which maximises the service life of the system while minimising maintenance and lifecycle costs. And because it has been designed as the first fully web-based system, it can be seamlessly integrated into the company's existing IT landscape and is capable of providing realtime information for a highly-diverse range of users exactly as they need it.
In line with the specifications laid down in Eskom's invitation to tender, and the government's endeavours to increase local content and to support small and medium-sized companies in South Africa, a high percentage of the scope of supply and services will be implemented by black, women-owned companies, a development that sees Siemens thus making a major contribution toward the country's economic development.
For more information contact Keshin Govender, Siemens Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 652 2412, [email protected], www.siemens.co.za
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