Ziehl-Abegg has replaced the fans cooling the converter station at BritNed in Rotterdam.
BritNed is the operator of the high-voltage direct-current (HDVC) subsea power cable connecting the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The new fans helped BritNed lower energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint.
The subsea power cable covers 256 kilometres, and has a capacity of 1.000 MW.
In order to convert the high-voltage direct-current (HDVC) to the widely used alternating current (AC), converter stations are located at each end of the power cable.
These heavy duty converter stations, of approximately 5 hectares each, are permanently working and produce a significant amount of heat.
Reliable cooling is a continuous requirement but cooling fans running without interruption consume a lot of energy.
With the product series ZAplus, Ziehl-Abegg was able to offer several improvements to the existing system. The newly placed cooling fans have Electronically Commutated (EC) motors which are proven to be highly energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
The practical design of the fan allows easy maintenance and improves uptime.
The bionic profile of the blades (inspired by the owl) minimizes noise pollution to the surrounding area. Altogether, the new fans will help BritNed to lower its energy consumption by 450.000 kWh per year and reduce its carbon footprint by 51 tonnes per year.
Equipped with a special service ring which enables easy access for maintenance and repair, the cooling unit does no longer need to be turned off for maintenance, reducing expensive outages.
Replacement of the 40 fans took place in two batches during planned outages with the old fans recycled.