Ceres Fruit Processors, established in 1976, is a number one producer of fruit juice concentrates and purées. The corporate makes use of globally benchmarked processes to ship flavourful and healthful worth to its clients. In response to power provide challenges in a weak and intermittent provide panorama, NEC XON was tasked with offering a completely built-in resolution utilizing revolutionary applied sciences.
“The dependable provide of electrical energy to our manufacturing unit is essential, particularly in excessive season, once we require 24/7 operations,” mentioned Anton Reinecke, MD of Ceres Fruit Processors.
The problem
Ceres confronted a number of vital challenges associated to power provide, together with the necessity to:
- Guarantee power safety
- Enhance the standard of the power provide
- Assist energy-sensitive providers and processes
- Cut back the price of power
- Lower diesel consumption
- Adjust to regulatory, environmental and security requirements
- Enhance its carbon footprint after implementation of phases 2 and three
The underlying technical requirement was to implement a completely engineered built-in resolution to handle all power assets on an 11kV medium voltage bus. This resolution aimed to maximise provide efficiencies and optimise monetary advantages by superior design and feasibility processes.
Assembly these aims is vital to Ceres’ means to scale up manufacturing and sustained competitiveness. Vitality provide dangers can impression the corporate’s compliance profile, value effectivity and carbon footprint.
Stated Reinecke: “NEC XON was chosen over different expertise suppliers as a result of they demonstrated a capability to combine diesel turbines, photo voltaic and battery programs.”
The answer
The answer supplied by NEC XON included a number of key elements in section 1. First, they established management of the prevailing utility grid provide. They then built-in new and current switchgear, safety relays and medium voltage transformers. Moreover, they developed a megawatt-scale generator farm and carried out automated bulk tank amenities. Complete hearth security, cooling, civil and safety measures have been additionally put in place to make sure the security and effectivity of the system.
Future phases of the undertaking will deal with enhancements, together with the addition of megawatt-scale photovoltaic renewable technology assets and utility-scale battery power storage programs. These additions will bolster the system’s capability for renewable power and supply larger flexibility and safety in power administration.
Integration and customisation
The answer featured a personalized power administration system that ensured security compliance, system part management, safety, monitoring, reporting and occasion administration. This method design allows simple interface with current management programs at a future date.
Assembly enterprise and technical necessities
The answer addressed all buyer aims, together with:
- Vitality high quality: The system ensures that frequencies and voltages adhere to security and regulatory requirements, defending downstream tools.
- Vitality safety: Redundant power sources and the flexibility to function independently from the grid improve power safety.
- Diesel discount: Optimum generator management on a medium-voltage degree will increase diesel consumption effectivity.
- Compliance: The answer meets all regulatory and compliance requirements, supporting future environmental sustainability and security.
- Carbon footprint: The shift to solar energy considerably cuts greenhouse fuel emissions, with potential carbon credit score advantages.
- Price effectivity: In future phases, peak shaving, load shifting and high-efficiency programs can cut back prices. As well as, it could considerably cut back future diesel consumption.
Particular lodging
The implementation was fastidiously deliberate to minimise impression on manufacturing throughout peak seasons, with a deal with sustaining full manufacturing throughout scheduled and unscheduled outages.
The primary section ran from September 2023 to February 2024, with closing handover in April 2024. Future phases’ timelines are but to be decided in step with capex and opex issues and timelines for required environmental impression evaluation research.
Advantages
NEC XON’s resolution enabled a number of key capabilities for Ceres Fruit Processors. One of many main advantages was the seamless handover of buyer masses throughout outages, guaranteeing uninterrupted manufacturing. This was complemented by improved power provide efficiencies, leading to lowered prices and enhanced manufacturing capability even throughout energy disruptions.
Because of this, Ceres has turn out to be extra aggressive within the power market, with a major step in direction of grid independence and a lowered carbon footprint. The answer additionally supplied visibility into power utilization by a personalized monitoring and management system, permitting for real-time monitoring and optimisation.
Herman Viljoen, GM of strategic tasks at NEC XON mentioned: “Our partnership with Ceres Fruit Processors demonstrates the ability of revolutionary expertise in remodeling power provide challenges into sustainable options. This undertaking not solely enhances power effectivity but in addition positions Ceres as a frontrunner in renewable power adoption throughout the business.”
Success shall be gauged by attaining the said enterprise aims, which embody enhancements in power high quality, safety, value effectivity and compliance. KPIs will deal with plant efficiency, uptime and general system effectivity, offering a transparent image of the undertaking’s success and areas for potential enchancment.
Future outlook
The subsequent undertaking phases embody including renewable power assets and battery power storage, optimising the system for enhanced performance by sensible management. This may additional solidify Ceres’ place as a frontrunner in sustainable and environment friendly power programs.
NEC XON’s resolution not solely meets the present wants of Ceres Fruit Processors but in addition positions the corporate for future development and sustainability, guaranteeing a sturdy, cost-effective and environmentally pleasant power provide.
About NEC XON
NEC XON is a number one African integrator of ICT options and a part of NEC, a Japanese world firm. NEC XON has operated in Africa since 1963 and delivers communications, power, security, safety and digital options. It co-creates social worth by innovation to assist overcome critical societal challenges. The organisation operates in 54 African international locations and has a footprint in 16 of them. Regional headquarters are positioned in South, East and West Africa. NEC XON is a degree 1-certified broad-based black financial empowerment enterprise. Uncover extra at www.nec.xon.co.za.
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