Technology to Avoid CFE Fines

Q: Mining is one of the most energy-intensive industries, so how is IICE taking advantage of this situation?

A: Business opportunities in the mining sector have always been present, and even more so with the Energy Reform since there is a rising need for clean and energy efficiency solutions. In the past, companies were only able to produce power and sell it through CFE but now private actors can increase their self-supply capacity, seek more competitive prices, and even sell the surplus to third parties. In the case of industrial electricity consumers, the optimal power factor is set at 90 percent as lower utilization rates are penalized financially in the electricity tariff. We can help companies reach optimal power factor levels and mining players stand to benefit.

Q: What new solutions do you have in place to serve the energy needs of the mining sector?

A: Industrial facilities are obliged to consume at least 90 percent of the energy supplied by the utilities, which previously corresponded solely to CFE. To maintain a facility’s energy usage above that limit, we provide capacitor banks and filters as this eliminates the formation of harmonics. Companies with energy consumption rates below 90 percent received a fine from CFE, which made it financially attractive for companies to invest in solutions optimizing this factor. Nowadays, all kind of industries incorporate the use of electronic and automatized equipment in their processes. These types of systems can cause a problem in the electric system known as harmonics, which brings noise to the grid and can damage sensitive equipment. Our solutions help clean the electrical signals in a process known as energy cleaning optimization.

Q: What are the technologies that represent important energy savings in the mining sector?

A: Capacitor banks have changed the energy efficiency game since industries must contend with a limited amount of energy to create power, and even with new and efficient equipment, not all the energy received can be transformed. For instance, engines can usually only transform 80 percent of the electrical energy into mechanical power and, while this value does not imply that the engine is deficient, that it is the maximum utilization rate that this kind of technology can reach. With a capacitor bank we optimize the power rate, helping the facility reach the 90 percent minimum limit regardless of its equipment. In the case of harmonics present in the grid, we can install a filter consisting of a capacitor coupled with a reactor.

Q: What benefits can miners obtain from your solutions?

A: Our equipment comes with a transistor protection system consisting of peak suppressors. This additional equipment is used in cases where damaged equipment impacted by harmonics also begins to generate them. Harmonics are an increase in the number of frequencies present in the electrical grid that result from non-linear electric loads. We have two types of filters available to correct this issue, one that increases the power factor and other that eradicates harmonics. The first type, known as a rejection filter, is utilized when a facility’s power factor is below 90 percent and it will correct the factor rather than eradicate the harmonic. The second product, known as an active or absorbing filter, will eliminate the harmonics present in an electric grid but it will not correct the power factor. For instance, a rejection filter can lower the fifth harmonic from 300Hz to 225Hz. This frequency is easier to manage by the capacitor, which increases the equipment’s power. Nevertheless, the harmonic problem is not eliminated from the equipment. To eradicate the harmonics the 300Hz must be addressed in a linear manner with an active filter.

Q: What are the risks faced by that electronic equipment while using capacitor banks?

A: It is important to distinguish between a capacitor bank and a filter, since the first consists only of the capacitor while a filter is formed by a capacitor coupled to a reactor. The capacitor bank compensates the electrical line using the capacitance current to decrease the angle and improve the power factor. When a capacitor is coupled to a reactor, the system generates a short circuit. This process misaligns the system and pushes it further from the fifth harmonic waves without eliminating the inductance current that has to pass through the capacitor. In the case of an active or absorbing filter the system aligns both currents forcing the harmonic current to pass through the capacitor, eliminating them completely and cleaning the grid. We focus on the misaligned systems as we generally look to improve the power factor of our clients.

Q: How do you raise awareness among miners about the benefits of using your solutions?

A: Despite the number of companies that ignore the power factor fine there is an increasing interest in acquiring energy efficient equipment due to the possibility of saving money by increasing a facility’s power factor. Besides the economic benefits there are also positive implications of introducing a capacitor bank in the electrical system of a plant, such as the reduction in maintenance services resulting from the elimination of waste heat from the transformers. By lowering the kilovolts-amperes, the company decreases the amount of heat released by the system. Additionally, having fewer amperes running through a cable reduces the deterioration rate of the equipment, increasing its useful life and avoiding the occurrence of power outages and system breakdowns.

Q: How are you planning to position the company in the mining industry in the short to-medium term?

A: Our product portfolio, which mainly includes capacitor banks, is highly relevant for the mining industry because it can bring different economic and technical benefits to a company. By using our technology, miners avoid problems with overheating, production downtimes caused by power outages, and electrical noise from harmonics. Our distribution network is already collaborating with miners, providing them with the required technical support and knowledge to increase their confidence in our products. Unfortunately there is an important level of mistrust in the usage of capacitor banks due to the lack of experience and technical skills among people in the sector. If a technician does not have the required skills and does not perform a network analysis before installing the capacitors, there is a risk the installed equipment will create more damage than benefits to the system.