ESB, Ireland’s foremost energy company, recently engaged Winder Power Ltd, a leading manufacturer of power and distribution transformers, to complete the refurbishment of 3 x 5MVA transformers, supporting their efforts to make responsible use of resources and demonstrate environmental sustainability, by refurbishing the units instead of replacing them.
As a leading Irish utility with an asset base of approximately €9 billion, and 43% of electricity generation capacity in the all-island Irish market, ESB requires significant amounts of reliable power to provide its 1.5 million customers throughout Ireland every day, and this is where Winder Power steps in.
Regulators and End users like ESB have become less willing to allow network assets, including transformers, to be replaced simply on the basis of age; preferring to consider other factors such as asset health and criticality. Winder Power has found that there are better techniques that can be used to determine with more accuracy the real condition of transformers, which can confirm when there is remaining life in the asset, and in many cases, the life of a transformer can be extended for up to 15 more years, meaning that both money and time can be saved.
Using the services of a local heavy haulage company to dismantle and transport the transformers to Leeds, Winder Power undertook significant refurbishment works on the ESB transformers, which involved disassembling them, inspecting all elements, supplying and fitting new components, and assembling them from scratch, before shipping them back to Ireland.
Recently named the Best Small Manufacturer in Yorkshire at the 2016 Made in Yorkshire awards, Winder Power specialises in the design, build, deployment and management of distribution transformers and power transformers up to 60MVA. Although this is the first significant contract between Winder Power and ESB, Winder has a proud history of serving a wide range of loyal customers in the utilities, renewable energy, and industrial sectors across Ireland, the UK and internationally.