Cargill Bioindustrial South Africa’s natural ester fluid production line in Isando, Gauteng, is complete, following the recent approval of an Eskom tender.
Cargill will be the only local producer to own and manage the production of biodegradable, natural ester fluids, called FR3, replacing traditional petroleum-based mineral oil used for the electrical grid.
Natural ester fluids, such as the FR3 fluid, result in improved fire safety, a longer insulation life expectancy for the transformer and increased load capacity. Made from 100% renewable vegetable oil, FR3 has numerous environmental benefits as it is non-toxic, non-hazardous in water and soil and it can biodegrade in less than 28 days.
Cargill Bioindustrial group in South Africa country manager Valdir Baraldi said Eskom’s tender approval to replace mineral oil in transformers with fire-safe and biodegradable natural ester fluid for the electrical grid is “a great move” towards safety and sustainability for all South Africans.
Wherever there is a reliance on electrical transformers, safe and sustainable natural ester fluid will positively impact homes, work, industrial and mining environments, he added.
“We look forward to delivering on the commitment we made five years ago to supply a local product that adheres to international quality standards and provides an environmentally sound product for South Africa’s electrical grid,” he said.
In collaboration with local oil manufacturers, Cargill will manage the value chain from the supply of locally produced oil to the production of FR3 fluid.