Prefabricated Electric Substations (E-Houses) For Mining Projects Fast, Cost-effective, and Customisable

TGOOD Africa has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading providers of prefabricated E-House solutions, as well as power transmission and distribution equipment to clientele in different industries. The company sees growth of opportunities in the supply of prefabricated E-House solutions to mining projects in Africa.

Largest Utility EHouse substation in Africa, - Fleurhof 88/11kV substation under construction for City Power of Johannesburg

Underlining their unflagging confidence in economic conditions, mining companies are undertaking Greenfield and Brownfield projects in different regions in Africa. Doubtless, one of the critical requirements in the project is reliable power supply.

Consequently, to ensure the reliable supply of power to mining sites, one of the essential equipment needed is substations. Nevertheless, the main challenge is that the traditional electrical high-voltage and medium-voltage brick-and-mortar substations may not meet the urgent need due to their limitations.

Noticeably, prefabricated electric substations (E-Houses) have emerged as a more viable alternative to traditional substations. Kobus Coetzer, the Chief Executive Officer of TGOOD Africa, has been observing the trend keenly. He foresees the niche of prefabricated E-Houses

(Electrical Houses) continuously growing, as increasingly, organisations in different industries appreciate how their features address the common challenges encountered with traditional substations.

Challenges with traditional substations

Due to their nature, traditional substations cannot adequately cope with the pace of infrastructure development, as urbanisation continues to increase, as well as the obligation for businesses to reduce their environmental footprint.

Concerning urbanisation, Coetzer elaborates: “As urbanisation continues to increase, the power infrastructure needs to be expanded as well. Unfortunately, the traditional electrical high-voltage and medium-voltage brick-and-mortar substations that utilise airinsulated switchgear and large pieces of land are expensive to build and take a long time to construct.”

For mining companies, the location in remote areas compounds the inherent challenges of deploying traditional substations. More often than not, they have to contend with raw materials, skills, labour, logistics etc., which increase the capital expenditure of a project.

Benefits of Prefabricated Structures

As an alternative to traditional substations, E-houses that utilise gas-insulated switch gears are becoming an increasingly attractive solution, especially in overcrowded cities where land is not freely available and is expensive. This is because E-houses come pre-engineered and pre-fabricated according to customer

E-House delivered to the City of Johannesburg

Markedly, due to their prefabricated modular components, E-Houses have revolutionised the electrical substation construction industry by offering a host of benefits including:

• They provide a fast, cost-effective, and customisable solution to distribute power quickly and reliably. Hence, they can be easily installed and commissioned significantly faster than other traditional substation designs. Eventually, this reduces the overhead costs associated with substation construction, such as engineering, design, and labour.

• Their prefabricated components are modular. This allows them to be easily reconfigured and updated with changing needs.

• They provide increased safety for

The World Leader in E-Houses

When it comes to prefabricated substations, TGOOD is the world leader in prefabricated E-House solutions and power transmission and distribution equipment. As a vertically integrated solution provider, TGOOD designs and manufactures IEC-certified MV and HV electrical switchgear and is, therefore, able to offer a high-value solution at a very competitive cost.

TGOOD has built a reputation for a quick turnaround in meeting the customer’s needs. What’s more, the company’s electric power distribution solutions can be delivered at EXCEPTIONALLY SHORT lead times by assembling all equipment and buildings, including FAT and pre-commissioning, in its factory.

However, Coetzer clarifies that TGOOD is aware that it is one thing to deliver a basic solution, and a different kind of a beast to deliver a product that suits the client’s particular need. So, the process of customising solutions entails scrupulous planning. Basically, the following factors are considered:

• Security: Ensure that the E-House is designed with adequate security features to ensure that unauthorised access can be prevented.

• Cost: Consider the costs associated with the design and implementation of the E-House, as well as any ongoing costs associated with the maintenance of the system.

• Safety: Some but not all factors that relate to safety that should be considered are: personnel and flexibility with regard to system configuration.

• Last but not least, E-Houses provide a much lower environmental impact due to their modular, transportable design that can be quickly delivered and installed with minimal disturbance to the environment. “This has been especially advantageous for remote mining operations, making the construction process much easier and more efficient,” explains Coetzer.

Research and Development

On the whole, it is not surprising that due to the above-mentioned benefits, E-houses have revolutionised the electrical substation construction industry. With ongoing Research and Development initiatives, certainly, new designs will offer a wider array of benefits.

• Proper installation of the switchgear

• Adequate clearance from electrical components and other potentially hazardous materials.

• Isolation of any live parts.

• Proper grounding and earthing of the equipment and E-House

• Use of fireproofing materials to obtain a two-hour fire rating.

• Proper labelling of the equipment

• Regular maintenance of the switchgear

• Adequate ventilation to prevent the build-up of heat and fumes.

• Emergency trip switch in an accessible location.

• Arc venting of switchgear installed in the E-House

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