Transformers, substations + the grid: Products + services
Transformers built for extreme conditions
dry-type transformers we are supplying to one of the engineering, procurement and construction contractors involved in this copper- gold project, now in its early works phase of development, include smaller isolation transformers rated at 5 kVA, lighting transformers of 75 kVA, and larger units of between 250 kVA and 1 000 kVA for power distribution functions,” he explains. Although Trafo Power Solutions has designed the transformers for indoor operation in the e-houses, the high ambient temperatures of the site have been taken into account. The design therefore caters for daytime temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius – with Class H insulation. “To improve the turnaround time, we manufactured the enclosures in South Africa and – importantly – these could be flat- packed for easier logistical handling on route to the site,” Claassen adds. “The dry-type transformers were shipped by our manufacturing partner TMC Transformers in Italy, directly to the site in Pakistan.” He highlights that although the manufacturing of the transformers takes place in Italy, Trafo Power Solutions conducts the factory acceptance testing with the customer. The order also includes 18 neutral earth resistors (NERs) which are connected to the star point of the transformers to limit the earth fault current. “We are supplying a number of 690 V air-type NERs as well as 11 kV NERs which are rated at 300 amps for 10 seconds – also capable of operating in air temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius,” Claassen says. He points to the reliability of dry-type transformers and the limited maintenance they require as important benefits for users on remote sites such as this one in Pakistan. Unlike conventional oil-cooled transformers, where the oil needs regular testing and replacement, dry-type units are air-cooled and seldom require any active maintenance. With its depth of experience in installing and commissioning its transformers and other electrical power solutions, Trafo Power Solutions supports the customer during these phases and provides technical support into the future.
South Africa-based Trafo Power Solutions is supplying 13 dry-type transformers for e-houses to strengthen the power infrastructure at a copper-gold project in Pakistan. Commissioned by one of the EPC contractors working on the project, the transformers are designed to meet the site’s harsh, arid conditions. The mining project is on one of the world’s largest, undeveloped copper-gold reserves, located in the Chagai district of Balochistan, close to the borders of Afghanistan and Iran. The terrain is arid to semi-arid, characterised by desert, mountain ranges, sparse vegetation and regular dust storms. David Claassen, Managing Director of Trafo Power Solutions, says the transformers have been designed to meet the challenges of this remote and demanding mining environment. “The range of
Dry-type transformers provide mining operations with a robust and low-maintenance power solution suited to demanding industrial applications.
For more information visit: www.trafo.co.za
Guardian of the grid
work – tiny electrical breakdowns eroding the system’s health, one pulse at a time. A clear window into the network Doble Engineering’s Falcon 4 was built to give grid operators (asset managers, engineers and technicians) what they need: real- time visibility into the unseen. It continuously monitors medium- voltage assets – switchgears, cables, transformers, and motors
Falcon 4 provides the system visibility that helps grid operators move from reactive response to predictive control.
– and captures every PD event as it happens. Falcon 4 classifies signal sources by their pulse signatures. That means it can track the individual phenomena over time and perform an individual identification to distinguish between substation disturbances and partial discharge
Working in a substation, you know that problems rarely announce themselves. One day everything looks fine – the switchgear’s sealed, the cables are solid, the load is steady – and then suddenly, you’re dealing with an unplanned outage. That failure didn’t happen overnight. Somewhere inside the insulation, it is likely that partial discharges had been at
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28 Electricity + Control JUNE 2026
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