Emerging integrated energy producer Renergen will start hot commissioning of various utility systems at its Virginia gas project, in South Africa’s Free State, starting with air and nitrogen, next week.
On April 12, the company said this would enable the flushing of some of the process plant areas to start.
On April 10, generators where synchronised and the breaker to the main supply substation was opened and tests conducted. The breaker to the two 6.6/400kV transformers was opened and will run on a low load condition, which will allow the transformers to “soak” until operating conditions are attained.
“The much-anticipated moment has finally arrived, and the turn-on has now [started]. Over the coming days, we will continue to update shareholders as the final commissioning milestones are achieved,” CEO Stefano Marani commented.
He also celebrated what COO Nick Mitchell and his team have achieved, “despite the many setbacks during construction” such as the impact of Covid-19 on manufacturing timelines, supply chain challenges and unseasonal rainfall owing to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation climate pattern delaying construction, besides others.
This, he said, was “a massive achievement”.