Oil hazards
in a densely populated area. To help supply this demand, M&I Materials has opened its ester transformer fluid manufacturing plant and state of the art laboratory near Mumbai in India. This move creates a high quality, local supply chain of the company’s ester fluids for utilities and transformer manufacturers across the country. With a locally manufactured product, Indian utilities will have direct access to a flexible and responsive supplier, resulting in less dependence on imports for this key transformer component. As a biodegradable alternative to mineral oil, the availability of the company’s fluids across India marks another step forward in creating a sustainable electricity grid for the future. In addition, the M&I Materials investment in local manufacturing is a clear endorsement of the Indian government’s Make in India initiative. Based in Maharashtra, the M&I Materials
operation is the result of a new strategic alliance with ACME Synthetic Chemicals, and will help Indian utilities and original equipment manufacturers to deliver safer, greener transformers and substations. Ester transformer fluids are much more environmentally friendly than traditional mineral oil. The company has had a presence in India, providing product and technical support, for almost a decade. Raw materials for the manufacturing of the fluids will be sourced from locally grown soybean and rapeseed crops, providing
new opportunities for local farmers and their families, in addition to creating jobs at the factory, this local facility will be able to supply ester fluids to CESC and other utilities across the continent. Many companies are in a similar boat to
CESC, with the older parts of their transformer fleet currently filled with mineral oil. However, the switch to esters is an easy one for many. Through the process of retrofilling6
to esters does not have to be an instant wholesale change to a transformer fleet – utilities can prioritise the most at risk assets whilst keeping the rest of their transformers running.
In a sector where professionals value the impact of transformer failure on business continuity only behind safety and revenue3
,
the avoidance of downtime due to retrofilling cannot be understated. In short, there is no doubt that the energy transition is delivering numerous benefits and, as esters are fully biodegradable, there is no hindrance to companies enjoying a boost to their sustainability and safety whilst also looking after their bottom line.
Major utilities such as Torrent Power, CESC,
DMRC, GETCO, Tata Power Delhi, TNEB and Reliance Infra – to name but a few – have been successfully using ester transformer fluids throughout their networks, and manufacturing them locally will allow Indian utilities to benefit from a leaner, more flexible and responsive source of supply
FOCUS
, the transition
www.frmjournal.com OCTOBER 2019
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