Page 23 - Energize October 2021

NEWS

Ensuring reliable power supply for cement maker

he technology group Wärtsilä has “We have benefited significantly from the efficient way by which Wärtsilä has operated and
signed a 5-year long-term Operation & maintained this plant for the past ten years, and we had no hesitation in extending the agreement
TMaintenance (O&M) agreement with for a further five years. An uninterrupted reliable supply of electricity is essential to our
Lafarge Africa Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading production, and having our own power plant, built, operated and maintained by Wärtsilä, gives
building material producers. The agreement us this assurance,” said Lanre Opakunle, Strategic Sourcing Director, Power & Gas, Middle East &
covers the 100 MW Lafarge Ewekoro power Africa, Lafarge - a member of Holcim Group.
plant, which provides a dedicated supply of “Lafarge has been a customer with whom we have built a strong relationship over a number
electricity to the company’s concrete and of years. Their readiness to renew this O&M agreement is a clear indication of satisfaction with
cement manufacturing processes. Signing of our performance, and of how it supports the achievement of their business goals,” commented
the O&M agreement took place in July 2021 Marc Thiriet, Energy Business Director, Africa West, Wärtsilä Energy.
and is an extension of a previous 10-year The scope of the agreement includes the operating crew, performance guarantees, plant
agreement. availability and spare parts.
The captive Ewekoro plant was supplied
and commissioned by Wärtsilä in 2011. Contact Marc Thiriet, Energy Business Director, Africa West, Wärtsilä Energy,
It consists of six Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel Marc.Thiriet@wartsila.com, www.wartsila.com
engines, operating primarily on gas, but
with the flexibility to automatically switch to
liquid fuel in case of a disruption to the gas
supply. Similarly, should the quality of the
gas supply be disrupted, the Wärtsilä engines
will continue to operate efficiently, delivering
an assured and reliable power supply to the
facility. Unlike gas turbine plants, the engines
will also function efficiently with a low-
pressure gas supply, thus providing a huge
advantage given the region’s vulnerability to
such interruptions.
The captive power plant provides the
cement production facilities with a steady
supply of electricity and an efficient use of
available natural gas as primary fuel. By having
Wärtsilä operate and maintain the power plant,
the customer can focus on its core business to Wärtsilä and Lafarge Africa Plc have extended previous 10-year O&M agreement covering the 100 MW
deliver construction materials to Nigeria. Lafarge Ewekoro captive power plant for cement industry with further 5 years © Lafarge Africa Plc

Benefits of drives for electric motors and pumps

n 26 August 2021, Control Techniques and Energize hosted a spoke about the practical and commercial aspects of buying and
free-of-charge, one-hour long, technical webinar on how to using a modern drive, while Wayne Smit, a key account manager
Oimprove pump efficiency. and applications engineer at Control Techniques covered in-depth
According to the International Energy Agency, energy efficiency is technical aspects.
the best kind of generation because it creates no emissions, requires Grobler draws from his vast experience of helping customers find
no land-space and is totally free. cost-effective solutions across various sectors. Prior to his appointment of
Wastewater management and irrigation systems require efficient regional director, he was the company’s business development manager.
pumps with low cost of ownership and operation. To operate a pump Smit has a background in the automation industry where he served
efficiently and safely, a well-designed and feature-rich variable speed as an applications engineer. His vast technical background lays the
drive is essential. foundation for all project and technical presentations in securing business.
Control Techniques used the webinar “Efficiency in pump
applications” to encourage the use of drives with electric motors and Click here to watch a recording
pumps – even small pumps – using its recently launched drive offering,
the F600 as an example of the features offered, and the benefits to be of the webinar
found, by modern drives.
The 55-minute-long webinar was introduced by Roger Lilley, the For more information, please contact Jacqui Gradwell,
editor of Energize. Marketing Manager, Control Techniques, Phone 011 462-1740,
Bruce Grobler, the regional director of Control Techniques, jacqui.gradwell@mail.nidec.com , www.controltechniques.com

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