Siemens Power Generation (PG) is to modernize the Komati coal-fired power plant in
Johannesburg, South Africa with SPPA-T3000, the world's most advanced I&C system.
The power plant will thus be fitted out with the latest state-of-the-art equipment
and its service life extended by a further 15 years. The order was placed by South
Africa's utility ESKOM, Johannesburg, and is valued at approximately EUR45 million.
To meet the pronounced increase in power demand in South Africa, ESKOM is
recommissioning the power plants it mothballed several years ago. The Komati
coal-fired power station, which was built back in the 1960s, is one of three power
plants which the customer is recommissioning after being mothballed for an extended
period. The Komati coal-fired power station with an installed capacity of 1000 MW
consists of six units and is located southeast of Mpumalanga. The new I&C system
will extend the service life of the power station, which was only on line for five
years, by a further 15 years. Recommissioning of the first unit is slated for early
2007. Work on all of the units is scheduled for completion by the year 2009.
The scope of supply encompasses modernization of the entire I&C for all nine units
with SPPA-T3000, the first fourth-generation I&C system, for which Siemens PG has
already secured more than 80 orders worldwide. In addition to orders from Germany,
the U.S., and China, this is already the second order posted by Siemens PG from the
same customer in South Africa. The reasons for this major success are the trust
placed in Siemens technology and the economic benefits this system offers, namely
enhancement of the availability and operating economy of entire power stations.
Karlheinz Springer, head of the Instrumentation & Controls Division: "The tight
schedule dictated by the need to get new capacities on line quickly and reliably, is
a challenge for all those involved. The trust placed by ESKOM in our project
management underscores the benefits offered by our strategy of time-optimized
modernization, with which we have been highly successful worldwide."
SPPA-T3000 is a leading process I&C system designed specifically for deployment in
power plants and for power generation management. In the power plant it covers all
functions extending from boiler and turbine I&C to open- and closed-loop control of
all power plant processes. It is also predicated for enterprise-wide fleet
management. As the first genuine Web-based system it realizes seamless integration
into the existing IT environment of power producers and is capable of providing
real-time information to a multitude of users. With its unique
embedded-component-services technology it simplifies operation and maintenance. Its
lean system architecture sustainably reduces the life-cycle costs of a power plant.
The process control system, which was specially designed for use in power plants and
for power generation management, incorporates all functions from boiler and turbine
I&C to open- and closed-loop control of all power plant processes. By virtue of the
software structure, these systems feature extremely high reliability coupled with
high availability. With its unique embedded component services technology, it
simplifies system operation and maintenance and is tailored to precisely meet the
needs of the power plant personnel. Every aspect of what's going on at the plant can
be called up by the click of a mouse, and all of its functions are built around a
standardized engineering system. The software is in principle hardware-independent,
which maximizes the service life of the system while minimizing maintenance and
life-cycle costs. And because it has been designed as the first fully Web-based
system, it can be seamlessly integrated into the company's existing IT landscape and
is capable of providing real-time information for a highly-diverse range of users
exactly as they need it.
In line with the specifications laid down in ESKOM's invitation to tender, and the
government's endeavors to increase local content and to support small and
medium-sized companies in South Africa, a high percentage of the scope of supply and
services will be implemented by "Black Women Owned" (BWO) companies. BWO is a
development program in South Africa, which supports small and medium-sized companies
run by women of African origin. Siemens, too, is thus making a major contribution
toward the country's economic development.
The Power Generation Group (PG) of Siemens AG is one of the premier companies in the
international power generation sector. In fiscal 2005 (which ended September 30),
Siemens PG posted sales amounting to approximately EUR8.1 billion and received new
orders totaling EUR11 billion. Group profit amounted to EUR951 million. On September
30, 2005, PG had a work force of approximately 33,500 worldwide.
