Eaton Africa’s switchgear to help Shoprite
South Africa, Western Cape: Eaton Africa’s switchgear is helping Shoprite keeping the cold storage warehouses up and running during loadshedding.
Image source: T&D World
South Africa, Western Cape: Eaton Africa’s switchgear is helping Shoprite keeping the cold storage warehouses up and running during loadshedding.
Finding both energy and cost-efficient solutions to the operational challenges that the warehousing and distribution sector currently faces across Africa is a high priority, particularly for the continent’s retail giants.
South Africa’s national utility has been under immense strain in recent years, with ongoing loadshedding causing continuous outages across the country. Alternative power management solutions have become crucial, particularly for large retailers that need to ensure optimum shelf life for perishable goods in cold storage.
Having recently opened its 123,000 m2 Whitey Basson Distribution Park in the Western Cape, Shoprite – Africa’s largest food retailer – had to find the right switchgear solution for its most technologically advanced distribution centre, consisting of three warehouses, one of which is completely devoted to cold storage.
Working with Eaton, engineering professional services consulting firm WSP Africa developed a medium voltage power distribution system using Eaton’s Xiria E extendible-type switchgear.
This would provide a 10,000-operation switchgear solution, also allowing for a more flexible power distribution system with a broad range of protection and control options, and the possibility for future extensions of the secondary switchgear system.
Saverio Talotti, regional director at WSP Africa, explains that Eaton’s Xiria E MV switchgear made the most sense economically: “Both in terms of up-front costs and total cost of ownership – and made a huge difference that had a major impact on project and future cost.”
According to Talotti, the vacuum interrupters are maintenance-free and are certified up to 30,000 operation cycles. He adds that the Xiria E MV switchgear offers a “lower total cost of ownership in comparison to SF6 contained switchgear” and that the systems, materials and components are also all recyclable at end of life.
Source: ESI Africa
#Eaton Africa#Shoprite#South Africa#Xiria E extendible-type switchgear