Members of Penticton-based StruthersTech, PT Agincourt and Indonesia's state-owned power utility pose in front of power compensation equipment developed by the Penticton company.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / StruthersTech
June 20, 2019 - 6:30 PM
PENTICTON - Penticton-based expertise has saved a mining company millions of dollars, reduced global carbon dioxide emissions and invented new electrical technology.
Struthers Technical Solutions (StruthersTech) of Penticton recently announced a new technology developed by the firm has resulted in additional orders in addition to becoming the focus of a research project at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus.
The company developed new electrical technology when PT Agincourt Resources, operators of the Martabe gold mine in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, looked to them to solve a power problems the mine was having connecting to the local power grid, according to a media release issued today, June 20.
Repeated power failures and equipment malfunctions forced the mine to switch to diesel powered generators which consumed 4,500 litres of fuel per hour, emitting 104,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
A StruthersTech engineer discovered the connection problems were caused by unbalanced voltages and high-frequency power noise on the grid, the company says. The problem was resolved by using large electromagnetic coils operating at 11,000 volts, untested technology at the time.
The technology was completely designed in Penticton, including industrial computer systems that were assembled in a Penticton-based factory, the company says.
The equipment has been installed since the fall of 2017 and has allowed the mine to reconnect to the power grid, negating the need for diesel generators. The mine is saving $1 million annually and have eliminated diesel generation completely.
The company says the reduction in carbon emissions is equivalent to taking every light passenger vehicle in Penticton off the road, approximately 22,000 vehicles.
PT Agincourt has made a repeat order for the technology, which is now the subject of an ongoing research project in collaboration with UBC Okanagan.
The phase-balancing technology has potential in next generation smart-grids and renewable energy projects, Professor Liwei Wang of UBC Okanagan says.
“The effectiveness of the proposed phase-balancing technology has been proven by theoretical analysis and extensive dynamic simulations. I look forward to continuing this research with StruthersTech as we prepare two industry whitepapers for release in 2020,” he says in the release.
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