Cargill to manufacture synthetic dielectric fluid in Europe
MINNEAPOLIS - Aug. 29, 2014 - European transformer manufacturers, utilities, and others who use synthetic ester fluids as a transformer coolant and insulator will soon gain access to regionally manufactured Cargill product. Cargill Industrial Specialties (CIS), which manufactures and distributes Envirotemp™ FR3™ natural-ester fluid and Envirotemp™ 200 synthetic fluid globally, will begin manufacturing its proprietary synthetic fluid at its plant in Gebze, Turkey, in early 2015.
“Europe is home to some of the best and largest transformer manufacturers in the world,” said Dave Roesser, CIS dielectric fluids global general manager. “By expanding production of Envirotemp 200 to Turkey, we can do a better job of providing our European customers with cost-effective and reliable access to a regionally manufactured product, and the full depth and breadth of product and technical support we have been providing to our customers for the last decade.”
Ester technology offers several advantages over mineral oil. Both natural and synthetic esters are classified as less flammable, are biodegradable and can help protect transformer insulation systems, thereby extending the insulation and asset life of the transformer. Cargill’s customers can choose which ester technology best suits their particular needs. In most cases, FR3 natural ester fluid is the fluid of choice because of its superior high temperature capability, environmental benefits and high flash point and fire point. However, for some applications—such as train-traction transformers or free-breathing transformers—synthetic esters are typically a better choice due to their low viscosity and oxidation stability.
To date, CIS has ester manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. and Brazil. At the end of 2014, CIS plans to expand manufacturing capabilities to India and, soon thereafter, to Mexico.
“Expanding our manufacturing capabilities in Turkey is a logical next step in growing our global footprint to serve our customers’ needs, region by region,” added Roesser. “Rather than simply serving as the supplier of a useful product, we can also offer our customers support from a team with deep knowledge in ester technology, along with a proven global supply chain.”
CIS dielectric fluids are being used in more than 600,000 installations globally, both in power generation and distribution, including more than 100 U.S. utility companies. Brazil’s largest privately owned energy company (CPFL Energia) announced in 2013 that it would begin transitioning its entire distribution network to natural-ester-fluid-filled transformers. And, earlier this year, India’s largest integrated power company (Tata Power) announced that it will use a natural ester fluid in all of its new packaged substations across its Mumbai distribution area.
“Step-by-step, we’re establishing a global footprint that will enable us to provide customers with the right dielectric fluid product, at the right time, anywhere in the world,” Roesser concluded.
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Pete Stoddart, 952-742-6208, [email protected] |
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About Envirotemp™ natural and synthetic dielectric fluids
As an internationally recognized ester fluids expert and global supply chain manager, CIS supplies dielectric fluids Envirotemp™ FR3™ natural ester fluid and Envirotemp™ 200™ synthetic ester fluid to utilities and transformer manufacturers around the world, providing unparalleled product quality, value and service. Envirotemp dielectric fluids are currently installed in more than 600,000 power and distribution transformers (ranging up to 420kV) on six continents. FR3 fluid meets IEEE and IEC standards and Envirotemp 200 fluid meets IEC standards. The performance characteristics of FR3 fluid have been recognized by the International Electrotechnical Commission, FM Global, Underwriters Laboratories and the National Electrical Code.
About Cargill Industrial Specialties
Cargill Industrial Specialties is one the largest businesses within Cargill that is exclusively focused on providing bio-based solutions to industrial markets, including dielectric fluid, paints, inks and coatings, lubricants, construction and oilfield chemicals, consumer products, flexible foam and other diverse applications in the chemical industry.
About Cargill
Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and nearly 150 years of experience. We have 143,000 employees in 67 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
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