Zest Energy, part of the Zest WEG Group, has secured the contract to supply a new steam turbine to leading international paper and packaging group Mondi’s Richards Bay mill. This project will see the supply of the largest turbine ever manufactured by Brazilian company TGM Turbinas (model CTE63).
Not only will the project be the first of its kind to use the combination of a TGM turbine and an alternator manufactured by Electric Machinery (EM), it will also be a first for both equipment manufacturers to have their equipment installed in South Africa.
Zest WEG Group holding company WEG, a leading Brazilian electrical equipment manufacturer, and TGM, Brazil’s number one manufacturer of steam turbines, have enjoyed a longstanding and fruitful relationship over the last two decades. And, in 2011, WEG acquired EM, a company that custom designs and manufactures motors, generators and brushless exciters that serve thousands of customers worldwide, primarily in the oil and gas and power generation industries.
The Mondi contract is also the first time since WEG acquired EM, that TGM and EM equipment has been used in combination worldwide.
Mondi has appointed Bosch Projects as the overall EPCM contractor for the project, which began in May 2012 and is expected to take approximately 18 months. The Mondi Richards Bay mill was commissioned in 1984, producing Baycel, a premier grade bleached hardwood pulp made from 100% eucalyptus fibre and Baywhite, a white top kraft linerboard.
“Currently there are two AEG Kanis steam turbo generators installed — one 38 MW extraction back pressure steam turbine and one 34.3 MW extraction condensing steam turbine,” Zest Energy projects manager, Alastair Gerrard, explains. “We are now installing a new 48 MW multi-extraction condensing steam turbine to use the additional high pressure steam provided when running the plant boilers at full load.
The project scope includes the design, manufacture, delivery as well as complete installation and commissioning of the steam turbine and associated equipment. Zest Energy will provide OEM supervision services during installation and commissioning and will offer 24/7 on-call support for a period of four weeks after handover.
In addition to the 48 MW TGM multi-extraction condensing steam turbine and the 57 MVA, 11 kV EM alternator, the scope of equipment includes the complete condensing system, lubrication oil system with piping, turbine control panel with HMI, generator protection and control panel and a complete spare parts set to guarantee 98% equipment availability over the next five years.
Long term service agreement In addition to the new steam turbine, Zest Energy is poised to enter into a separate long term service agreement with Mondi to cover the maintenance of the equipment for at least the next five to 10 years, applicable to all three units — the two existing Kanis units and the new TGM turbine.
The Zest Energy team offers extensive expertise in the power generation and energy industry. Whether a single solution or a combination of power generation solutions is required, Zest Energy’s services include the supply, manufacture, erection and maintenance of power generation equipment ranging from complete power plants and co-generation systems to custom engineered power generation and integrated energy solutions for new or existing mining and industrial companies.
