Press Releases

MOELLER MCCs DRIVE NATIONAL CHLORINE PRODUCTION

NCP Chlorchem has installed three control panels designed by Moeller for the R¾ billion expansion project under way at the chlor-alkali plant in Chloorkop, Gauteng.

Pictured in front of a section of the panels are (left to right) Low Voltage Switchboards engineering manager Robert Bell, Moeller's production manager José Carreira, and Pravesh Koovarjee, plant electrical engineer at NCP Chlorchem.

Low Voltage Switchboards built the panels on behalf of Moeller.

The panels will become the heart of Chlorchem's expanded chlorine production, controlling via electric motors all pumps involved in the various chemical processes.

Phase One of the Chlorchem expansion, the construction of infrastructure and buildings to house four additional electrolysers, is nearing completion. The first two electrolysers are soon to be installed as part of Phase One, increasing the current plant capacity by 30 percent.

During Phase Two, a third electrolyser will be installed to increase current plant capacity by a further 30 percent. This is planned for 2011.

Phase Three will see the installation of the last electrolyser, bringing the total to ten and doubling current capacity.

Built by Low Voltage Switchboards on behalf of Moeller, the panels will become the heart of Chlorchem's expanded chlorine production, controlling via electric motors all pumps involved in the various chemical processes.

Moeller is a division of CBI-electric Industrial Controls.

Chlorchem, the sole supplier of South Africa's chlorine requirements for drinking water and sanitation, is conducting its R¾-billion expansion project in three phases.

Phase One, the construction of infrastructure and buildings to house four additional electrolysers, is nearing completion. The first two electrolysers are soon to be installed as part of Phase One, increasing the current plant capacity by 30 percent.

Electrolysers are central to Chlorchem's chlorine production process, which utilises the electrolysis of salt dissolved in water. The result is chlorine and caustic soda. Salt is supplied by a sister company in Walvis Bay.

Pravesh Koovarjee, plant electrical engineer at NCP Chlorchem, explained that Moeller switchgear was widely utilised throughout the Chloorkop plant.

"We standardised on Moeller switchgear during the 1988 upgrade of this plant," explained Koovarjee.

"This was because of the very high quality and reliability of the Moeller product, and all motor control centres installed here since then have been based on their polycarbonate system.

"On this project, however, we specified Cubic's modular metal system for the first time because of the ease of panel sizing that it provides for future modifications to the design," Koovarjee said.

The Cubic system was supplied by Sabelco.

Overall panel design for the Chlorchem expansion was based on previous, proven Moeller installations at NCP, the best features of which were carried forward and adapted to changes in motor sizes and metal board material.

The design comprises starters, variable speed drives, soft starters running on Profibus, and ASI bus-configured feeders and incomers.

Siemens ProV third-generation Simocodes were included for electronic overload protection.

Switchgear on the panels begins with Moeller IZM air circuit-breakers on the incoming power supply, and moves down to Moeller NZM-2, 3 and 4 high capacity moulded case electronic circuit breakers for control on the lower power circuits.

Moeller contactors and indication lamps were used throughout.

The three panels are linked to provide for redundancy. Power is supplied to two of the boards by their own transformers. A dedicated generator powers the third.

During normal operation, the two transformers supply power to all three boards, but the built-in redundancy means that the panels can all run off one transformer if necessary, with the generator kicking in as soon as the power supply fails.

A Moeller Easy PLC supplies intelligent control for the whole design, opening and shutting the circuit-breakers and bringing in the control panels as required.

Koovarjee said that NCP Chlorchem would continue to use Moeller equipment because of the reliability of the product and service support.

"We are quite satisfied with Moeller ," Koovarjee said. "We don't use any other equipment because we know the quality and substance of Moeller."

"The reliability of these panels is critical because of the very high standards of safety at this plant, which specify that all sections be made safe within one minute of any interruption to chemical production, such as a power failure."

NCP Chlorchem's Chloorkop plant was originally built in 1942 as a co-operative venture between the British and South African governments to make chemicals for agricultural and military use.

Ownership has since changed several times.

In 1950 the plant became known as Klipfontein Organic Products (KOP), which focused on supplying agricultural chemicals to the developing agricultural market.

In 1967 Sentrachem was established with KOP as one of the founder members. The ensuing decades saw a gradual shift from agricultural chemicals to water treatment chemicals, with Aquachlor established in 1973 as a joint venture with Olin to manufacture HTH, the leading brand swimming pool product.

Following the acquisition of Sentrachem by the Dow Chemical company in 1997, Sentrachem was unbundled, which offered the opportunity to once again privatise the company in 2002, when it became Chlor-Alkali Holdings, the holding company of the two current trading divisions Walvis Bay Salt Refiners and NCP Chlorchem.

ENDS

PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: newly installed control panels at NCP Chlorchem

Issued on behalf of CBI-electric Industrial Controls (Moeller Division)
Further information: José Ruivo (manager sales & marketing)
Telephone: +27 11 977-0700
Fax: +27 11 977-0758
e-mail: ruivo@moeller.co.za
P O Box 100, KEMPTON PARK, 1620, SOUTH AFRICA


Issued by Thrush Industrial Marketing
Contact: Alan Thrush
Telephone: +27 11 483-1511
Fax: +27 11 483-3160
e-mail: info@thrushindustrial.co.za
P O Box 1933, HIGHLANDS NORTH, 2037, SOUTH AFRICA

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