Ormat Power's 4 kW Remote Power Units Received Certification for Operation in Hazardous Areas
13 July 2006
Ormat Power, Inc. a world leader in Remote Power Units (RPU), has received certification for its 4 kW ORMAT® Energy Converter (OEC) for operation in hazardous areas on unmanned offshore platforms. This increases the product line of certified OECs to power range from 400W to 4kW. As a result, all these OECs can be used in the hazardous areas classified as Zone 2, Group II (Class I, Division 2), Temperature Class T3.
The certified OECs are used to power essential services such as communication, navigational aids and data transmission on unmanned offshore platforms in South East Asia, the Atlantic Ocean, the Adriatic Sea and in the North Sea.
Ormat's receipt of repeat orders for OECs for unmanned offshore platforms is the result of the field-proven track-record for ultra high reliability and very low maintenance, and is, therefore, the ideal power solution for unmanned offshore platforms.
ORMAT brings over 40 years of experience in the use of its unique OEC technology to the development and manufacture of high reliability, maintenance and overhaul free Remote Power Units. Thousands of OECs provide highly reliable and continuous electric power for telecommunication backbone projects, for unmanned offshore platforms and for remote unattended pipeline cathodic protection and System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).
The OEC, also known as the Closed Cycle Vapor Turbogenerator (CCVT), is a fully integrated, tested and certified power system developed for remote unattended applications. As a self-contained power package, it will supply 400 to 4,000 Watt of filtered DC power (24, 48 or 125 VDC) on a continuous 24 hour-per-day basis for periods in excess of 25 years with virtually no maintenance or repairs. One of its most original features is that it can operate with different fuels such as LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), natural gas from wells or pipelines, kerosene or diesel fuel. Unlike other generators, OECs can operate with natural gas with high NCG (Non Condensible Gases) content and low LHV (Lower Heating Value). Over 1,500 OEC units have been in use since 1969 by the most demanding customers in the oil and gas industry all over the world, such as the Alyeska Pipeline Services, since 1976; Gazprom, since 1974; AGIP, since 1978; Shell, since 1974; Saipem, since 1987; TOTAL, since 1988; GAIL (India), since 1988; Tullow Oil since 2004, and more. Lately, over 100 complete remote integrated power stations including OECs, have been delivered for use on the large Sakhalin II gas pipeline project.
