2016-07-08
The challenge: Creating a reliable power supply
The economic health and growth of the country require a dependable supply of electric power for factories, farms, processors and other businesses. Unfortunately, the conventional power supply system in Belarus has not always been reliable, leading to unpredictable stoppages in production.
Belarus is making progress, however, and one of the leading forces for improving electrical reliability and helping to ensure the advancement of Belarus has been Ruelta Joint Co., based in the capital city of Minsk. Ruelta is a market leader in the production and supply of safe and reliable electric machinery for the most predominant corporations in the nation, and all of Ruelta’s customers needed solutions to upgrade and secure their electric supply. However, it had been impossible to find these solutions in Belarus.
The solution: Partnership with ABB
To obtain the right components and equipment that offers the highest levels of reliability, Ruelta decided to work with a strong global partner based outside its borders. It found that partner in ABB, which is renowned for decades of technical progress in energy efficiency and industrial productivity.
Ruelta especially benefited from ABB Kabeldon system products. The ABB Kabeldon group develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of switching devices and enclosures, primarily to power supply companies, network companies, industrial companies and equipment manufacturers.
The Kabeldon IP-system is a safety-focused, flexible system for all types of low-voltage distribution systems in substations, cable distribution cabinets and distribution boards. Its busbars can be equipped with different switching devices to furnish distribution systems with a variety of functions, including connectors, disconnectors, switches, fuse-switch-disconnectors, fuse switches and more. All the switching devices can be installed and connected to the busbars in a single working operation. The Kabeldon IP-system is modular, insulated and touch-proof, and switching devices can be connected while the system is live.
Together, ABB and Ruelta developed a modern solution for electricity suppliers: a modular integrated transformer substation based on the Kabeldon IP-system, employing low-voltage switchgear.
“This unique switchgear system is distinguished by high reliability and simplicity, and it is a smart investment for our clients,” said Ruelta General Director Vasily Shchemelyov.
The new system achieves transmission power losses that are 15 percent lower than similar products. It offers a distinctive IP2X ingress protection level, and customers can easily replace or add components without shutting off the power to the rest of the users utilizing the installation.
The results: Improved reliability with lower costs
Overall, ABB Kabeldon products are ideal for Ruelta’s offerings.
“Ruelta clients have highly valued our cooperation with ABB in the implementation of switchgear with insulated busbars within our Kabeldon system products,” said Alexei Pazyuk, Ruelta Business Director.
Ruelta Production Director Alexander Kostyuk notes, “This system’s implementation allows us to reduce the cost of labor considerably and prevents us from making mistakes during equipment installation.”
The Kabeldon system is proving its benefits among Ruelta customers like Mogilevenergo, one of the largest energy suppliers in Belarus and an important power provider for agricultural operations.
“Commercial dairy farms, for example, used to be powered through the old power supply scheme, which led us to cut supply and to breakdowns in production. From now on, Kabeldon switchgear will let us increase the reliability of commercial dairy farm power supplies, providing power without interruption of milking operations,” said Viktor Rakov, Area Chief Engineer for Mogilevenergo.
Ruelta’s customers now enjoy the highest levels of safety, flexibility and reliability, with reduced downtime.