ACTOM Power Systems has secured a new data centre self-build substation contract in Gauteng.
Apart from the imported specialised 132kV disconnecting circuit-breakers required for part of the refurbishment of the 132/11kV Kosmosdal-A substation, the rest of the substation will have a conventional open-yard configuration, similar to that seen in the above picture showing a portion of a substation extension erected by Power Systems in Kempton Park two years agoApart from the imported specialised 132kV disconnecting circuit-breakers required for part of the refurbishment of the 132/11kV Kosmosdal-A substation, the rest of the substation will have a conventional open-yard configuration, similar to that seen in the above picture showing a portion of a substation extension erected by Power Systems in Kempton Park two years ago
Worth over R50-million, the contract involves a complete refurbishment of the 132/11kV Kosmosdal-A substation in Samrand, Centurion in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
The upgraded substation, a self-build project by Growthpoint Properties by arrangement with the municipality, is being established for a dedicated supply of power to a new data centre currently under construction nearby.
ACTOM businesses will supply most of the new equipment to be installed in the substation.
This is the third substation contract that Power Systems has been awarded within the past three years by a private sector company on a self-build basis by arrangement with a municipality for supply of power to a new or extended data centre.
Both of the previous two contracts were for substations in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. The first of these, completed in September 2019, involved an extension of the 132/11kV Airport Super Substation next to OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, while the second, awarded in November last year and due for completion in October this year, is for an entirely new substation, the 88/11kV Long Avenue substation in northern Ekurhuleni.
Long Avenue substation – originally referenced as Witfontein Ext. 90 – includes provision of additional power supply to enable substantial further development throughout northern Ekurhuleni.
The Kosmosdal-A substation contract, awarded at the end of February this year and overseen by consulting engineers Geopower, is scheduled for completion by January 2022.
“Working to an already tight programme, we have had to field a couple of curved balls to ultimately achieve a workable execution plan,” said Hannes Horn, Power Systems’ Senior Contracts Manager responsible for the contract.
The first was the discovery that an OEM in Europe which ACTOM had routinely approached to manufacture specialised 132kV disconnecting circuit-breakers in the past, had unexpectedly discontinued their production line after initially quoting for the supply of this equipment.
“As a result we’ve had a mad scramble to explore various alternative compact-design solutions, as well as trying to locate substitute suppliers that could still meet the local delivery constraint without negatively impacting the overall programme,” said Hannes.
The second complication posed an even greater threat of impacting the entire data centre development programme beyond merely the substation portion of the works. A local manufacturer, with which the order for the two free-issue 40MVA 132/11kV power transformers had been placed, suffered a devastating fire at its factory in March.
“This serious setback was successfully overcome by negotiating with our customer to incorporate the supply of the two power transformers into our contract and switch manufacture thereof to our in-house factory, ACTOM Power Transformers, instead. While some overall delay slippage was unavoidable we have still managed to curtail this to within the constraints of the broader data centre deadline,” Hannes remarked.
The other ACTOM businesses involved for product supply are:
l High Voltage Equipment: conventional circuit breakers, isolators, earth switches, current transformers, voltage transformers and surge arresters.
l Distribution Transformers: NECRT transformers.
l Static Power: batteries and chargers.
l Protection & Control: protection and automation systems.
l Electrical Products: all power and control cable and accessories required to renew the substation.
The 11kV switchgear is to be free-issued by the City of Tshwane for relocation to the substation.
