Africa continues to follow the global trend in taking up dry-type transformer technology, owing largely to its enhanced safety levels and lower maintenance requirements.

According to David Claassen, managing director of local dry-type transformer specialist Trafo Power Solutions, the growth of this market segment continues to extend the capacity of these units, which are now available in outputs up to 25 MVA.

“Africa has also been an enthusiastic market for the trend towards modular installations in applications like mining, water treatment and power generation. The safer, oil-free design of dry-type transformers allows them to be readily placed in modular substations, in close proximity to other equipment and personnel,” Claassen says.

In a partnership that will further boost the accessibility of dry-type transformer solutions across Africa, Claassen says that Trafo Power Solutions has now formalised its close collaboration with leading Italy-based manufacturer TMC Transformers.

“TMC is one of two leading designers and manufacturers of dry-type transformers,” he says. “After working with them for the past couple of years, we have signed an exclusive engineering partnership agreement to supply and service sub-Saharan Africa.”

Claassen emphasises the close alignment between the solution-focused approaches of the two companies. “We work together at all stages of each project from application engineering through to design, manufacture and customer support,” says Claassen.

TMC Transformers business development manager Roberto Deri highlights that the European company does not only manufacture standard products, but is driven by customers’ specific needs and project applications.

“This is the reason we are highly selective in our partnerships, as those companies with whom we work, such as Trafo Power Solutions, must have the engineering and design expertise to work closely with us on a technical level,” says Deri. “In this way, we fully leverage the capacity of our state-of-the-art design and manufacturing facility.”

The 25,000 m2 facility situated in Busto Arsizio near the Italian/Swiss border employs over 100 highly skilled technicians and professionals, and produces on average 16 complete transformer units a day.

Deri notes that TMC’s owners have over three decades of experience in this field, having built up their previous transformer business into a market leader worth €200-million before it was sold to a leading global OEM.

“Having purchased the TMC facility in 2017, the vision of our ownership and management team is to grow this business into a global force,” he says. “The company is already well on its way toward this goal, with rising global sales underpinned by a strong reputation for quality engineered products backed by solid technical support.”

Deri was recently in Johannesburg to exhibit – jointly with Trafo Power Solutions – at the well-attended Power & Electricity World Africa at Sandton’s Convention Centre.

Four dry-type transformers from Trafo Power Solutions have been proving their worth on a mobile process plant on a Sierra Leone mine since last year; so successful have they been that the customer has ordered six more for its recent Phase Two upgrade.

“The mine required a solution that would withstand the demanding conditions of a mobile process plant needing to be moved frequently over rugged mining terrain – as often as once a month,” says Trafo Power Solutions managing director David Claassen. “They could not risk using a conventional oil-cooled transformer as they needed to avoid any risk of fire or oil leaks. They also needed a product that would require little to no maintenance.”

The second contract was a repeat of the initial order, and comprises two 800 KVA units, one 1,600 KVA unit and one 2,000 KVA unit as well as a further two transformers, 1,600 kVA and 800 kVA which will replace two existing oil filled transformers. Demonstrating its flexibility in meeting specific customer requirements, Trafo Power Solutions designed the solution to cater for the mine’s unusual voltage levels of 13,2 KV/480 V at 60 Hz.

The transformers are installed in a six metre long E-house on the mobile process plant, which is moved around the site on skids as required by the mining plan.

“We were able to customise the design of the transformers for the customer’s specific application,” says Claassen. “This required a special reinforced frame to accommodate the constant vibration of the working plant, as well as the bumping motion when the skid-mounted plant is dragged to a new location. The design also included anti-vibration damping on the transformer feet, to further mitigate the impact of the vibration.”

The entry of Trafo Power Solutions dry-type transformers to the African market coincides with a growth in the use of modularised sub-stations. Due to the absence of oil as a coolant in dry-type transformers, they are suitable to be used in confined spaces without any of the conventional infrastructure usually necessary to protect the environment from possible oil spillage.

“Modular and mobile sub-stations are growing in popularity for applications all around Africa, as they can be fully prepared under workshop conditions, reducing the work required on site,” he says. “In terms of the installation of the transformer, for instance, we ensure that the temperature control relays are fully programmed and tested in South Africa, along with the fan system – making it ready for action on site.”

In the unlikely event of any further attention being necessary, Trafo Power Solutions can mobilise service support to any of the sites it supplies.