Igel supplies soft starters to Al Reem Island

The Al Reem Island development.
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Igel Elektronik GmbH is supplying its standard ISA-HD medium-voltage soft starters to ADC Energy Systems LLC for the Al Reem Island development in Abu Dhabi. ADC specialises in the design and build of industrial/commercial cooling and refrigeration systems in the MENA region.

The Al Reem Island development for Tamouh is a prestigious project for Abu Dhabi. The district cooling plant there is about three times bigger than the standard ones in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, says Jörg Westhoff of Igel Elektronik GmbH. “Overall so far this year we have received orders for more than 100 MV soft starters, which is 90% of the total UAE market.”

Al Reem Island, or Pearl of the Emirates, is a 633 hectare residential, commercial and business development under construction on the natural island of Al Reem Isle, located off the north-eastern coast of Abu Dhabi.

The developers are Tamouh Investments, Sorouh and Al Reem Investments. The island is expected to accommodate 280 000 residents, and will include amenities such as schools, clinics, shopping malls, restaurants, a 27-hole golf course, hotels, resorts and spas.

ADC has been contracted to design, build, commission and hand over District Cooling Plant 1 (DCP1) of Al Reem Island. The plant room will house 70 000 TR of mechanical refrigeration and thermal storage tanks, with a capacity of 20 000 TR/hour.

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This will increase the total plant capacity to 90 000 TR at peak. Major equipment being utilised, apart from Igel’s ISA-HD, includes Trane duplex chillers and Hamon cooling towers. The plant will feature 22 kV feeders, with final completion scheduled for December 2010.

Igel Elektronik GmbH, with its head office in Sendenhorst in Germany, and its Middle East branch in Silicon Oasis in Dubai, offers the largest soft-starter product line-up in the world, ranging from 4 kW and 220 VAC and going up to 40 MV at 13.800 V.

“As a specialist in electric-drive technology, we see ourselves not only as a component supplier, but also as a system supplier. This ranges from engineering to back-up support,” says Westhoff. The company can plan an application, advise the best drive concept, calculate all the relevant technical data, develop all the necessary equipment and drive assembly, install and commission all the electrical components, and service the facilities.

EXPORT FOCUS

“The growth of Igel Elektronik over the last few years has revealed that our strategic readjustment to focus on export markets such as the Middle East has been the correct approach. In conjunction with this, we continuously extend and refine our product range in order to remain the technology leader,” comments Westhoff.

Igel Elektronik launched its innovative MV-CS (medium-voltage control system) at this year’s Hannover Fair.

“We are hoping to receive the first orders for this new system within this year,” reveals Westhoff.

The main feature of the new system is its breakdown into two distinct components. The basic unit contains the system cabinet, the energy distribution components and the cable connection compartment. All components are passive units, and are therefore subject to a minimal risk of failure. The single sections are insulated from each other, while the connection to the busbar features an integrated shutter mechanism. A ‘smart’ decompression channel guarantees a safe release of gases in the event of an internal arc. The withdraw unit contains all the relevant electrical components, and is inserted into the basic unit by means of an integrated roller system.