ACTOM Distribution Transformers, a division within the ACTOM Group that designs and manufactures a range of 16kVA – 10 MVA distribution and lower range power transformers, recently secured an order for the supply of its Neutral Electromagnetic Couplers with Earthing Resistors and an Auxiliary Transformer (NECRT’s) to Kamoa Copper Mine SA Copper Mine SA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
NECRT’S’s combine three-phase neutral electromagnetic couplers with neutral earthing resistors and auxiliary transformers. ACTOM Distribution Transformers started refining the NECRT’S designing and manufacturing of NECRT’Ss in 2010 and is now considered a class leader in this field in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Lee Mbenge, CEO of ACTOM Distribution Transformers, maintains that within the green energy sector, NECRT’s play a crucial role in grounding collector power transformers in the substations. These substations facilitate the transmission of power generated by renewable energy plants into the national grid.
The Kamoa Copper Mine SA is one of the biggest producers of ultra-high-grade copper in the DRC and is powered by hydro-generated electricity produced by the Mwadingusha Hydroelectric Plant which was rehabilitated and modernised in 2021.
Mbenge says that Kamoa Copper Mine SA has been a customer of ACTOM Distribution Transformers for several years and has previously ordered distribution transformers and NECRT’s from the business. Last year, ACTOM Distribution Transformers completed an order for NECRT’Ss worth more than R10 million for the mine.
Preferred Supplier
“We are the preferred supplier of NECRT’s to Kamoa Copper Mine SA, which demonstrates that they have full confidence in our equipment. The latest order allows us to strengthen our footprint in Africa, positioning us as not only the dominant NECRT’S supplier in South Africa but also throughout the continent,” says Mbenge.
He explains that in designing its NECRT’S units, ACTOM Distribution Transformers has drawn on numerous lessons learned in the local market, which has enabled the company to perfect its product to withstand the harsh conditions in which it usually operates.
“The lessons that we learned were largely related to strengthening the active parts (internal design) and mechanical integrity, as NECRT’S units are often transported by road and take a tremendous battering by the time they arrive at a customer’s site,” says Mbenge.
“This prompted us to make various improvements to our NECRT’S product range, resulting in a robust and fail-safe design that is suitable for all applications and hostile environments. As a result, our NECRT units have performed better than those of various international suppliers, which are prone to failure.”
Better efficiency and reliability
ACTOM Distribution Transformers’ NECRT’s deliver longevity, with a lifespan of approximately 21 years, trouble-free utilisation, and energy availability, leading to an increase in the efficiency and reliability of customers’ renewable energy plants.
Mbenge notes that cross-border demand for ACTOM Distribution Transformers’ NECRT’s units has been increasing steadily and the business is now supplying these products to Namibia, Lesotho, and Zambia.
“The latest order from Kamoa Copper Mine SA highlights the strength of the ACTOM brand in the design and manufacture of NECRT’s and transformers. This will allow us to become further entrenched in the renewable energy market where we would like to be more dominant,” he adds.
ACTOM Distribution Transformers provides complete backup and support to its customers via aftersales teams that promptly attend to and resolve customer queries. The business will also typically engage with its customers during the commissioning and installation of NECRT’s to identify any potential problems onsite before the units are energised.
