Focusing on Electrical Protection Equipment

Q: What is Pepperl+Fuchs contribution to the maintenance of Mexico’s SNR?

A: The company is moving into the instrumentation department of the refineries, dealing with safety, and working with the electrical and IT departments. In the last two to three years, we chose to invest in the development of our business lines in these areas. These investments have focused on electrical protection equipment, which heightens the safety standards of electrical apparatus at the refinery site, and on improving the safety of mobile technologies, including cellphones and tablets. Our services make cellphones and tablets safer to use in the hazardous environment of a refinery, where there is always an explosion risk. Due to this risk, normal cellphones and tablets cannot be used inside refineries. To deliver this service, we acquired Ecom Instruments, a Germany company, in late 2016.

Q: What are Pepperl+Fuchs’ ambitions in terms of involvement in the Dos Bocas refinery?

A: Pepperl+Fuchs’ technologies can support the EPC process and time efficiency aspects of the construction, not only in automation, but also with far-reaching IT solutions and electrics. We can approach both PEMEX and contractors to present the technologies we offer. At the moment, we are speaking with ICA Flour, Grupo HOSTO, Samsung and KBR, so we already have connections to those companies working directly with PEMEX.

Q: What are the projects the company has been involved in over the last 12 months?

A: The two main projects Pepperl+Fuchs has been involved in over the past year are PEMEX’s Cadereyta and Francisco I. Madero refineries. We are helping the NOC increase the capacity of the two refineries by heightening the reliability and security of each one.