POWERING SAVINGS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Mantrac Ghana
Mantrac Ghana

Mantrac Ghana Designs Hybrid Power Solution to Reduce Costs

Customer: Mantrac Ghana Component Rebuild Center

Location: Takoradi, Ghana

Customer Business Issue: Reduce cost and improve reliability of power while improving sustainability footprint

Solution:

1,290 Cat® PVC395 MP photovoltaic modules

Nine solar inverters

Cat Master Microgrid Controller (MMC)

Weather station

Two Cat 3512 diesel generator sets

One Cat C13 diesel generator set

Cat® Dealer: Mantrac Ghana

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The hybrid energy solution at Mantrac’s component rebuild center in Takoradi, Ghana, includes 1,290 rooftop-mounted Cat® photovoltaic modules.

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The Mantrac component rebuild center in Takoradi, Ghana, is outfitted with the latest technology to restore like-new performance of Cat® machinery.

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Reduces cost and improves reliability of power while improving sustainability footprint

Mantrac Ghana
Mantrac
Mantrac

POWER NEED

Mantrac Ghana is the authorized Cat® dealer in Ghana, distributing and supporting a full range of products from Caterpillar. Mantrac Ghana’s primary business is supplying a complete range of Cat construction equipment to support major development and infrastructure projects. Additionally, customers take advantage of Caterpillar’s expansive product range and Mantrac Ghana’s wide-ranging capabilities for mining, forestry, material handling and power generation solutions.

As part of a U.S. $60 million investment to enhance the dealer’s support for customers in Ghana and throughout West Africa, Mantrac executives planned the construction of a world-class component rebuild center in Takoradi, Ghana. Component rebuild centers are outfitted with the latest technology for technicians to disassemble machinery, inspect components, replace worn parts, reassemble and test to deliver like-new performance.

To help reduce operational costs in a remote location where electricity is costly, facility designers recommended a system that would serve as a fully independent supply of power while using solar power to improve the company’s sustainability footprint.

SOLUTION

Engineers for Mantrac Ghana designed a turnkey 500 kW hybrid energy solution that integrates 1,290 rooftop-mounted Cat PVC395 MP photovoltaic (PV) modules with two sources of utility power and three Cat diesel generator sets to supply the power needed for the component rebuild center.

Providing efficiency, performance and dependability, Cat PVC395 MP solar panels achieve efficiencies of over 19 percent through an innovative shingled-cell design with multiple redundant paths for electricity flow. This eliminates many of the reliability challenges of traditional front-contact solar panels. Additionally, the panels use a unique parallel circuit architecture that significantly limits power loss from shade and soiling.

The entire system is managed by the Cat Master Microgrid Controller (MMC), which keeps loads continuously energized with highquality power at the lowest cost by managing the flow of power from every source in the system. The Cat MMC employs Cat Connect technology for the real-time collection and communication of onsite performance data that can be monitored and analyzed remotely.

Mantrac Ghana consultants led the design of the system, supervised the sourcing and installation of components, and managed commissioning. The project was completed in two months from the launch of system design to start-up.

RESULTS

The component rebuild center in Takoradi opened in September of 2018 with a staff of approximately 140 technicians. It operates 12 hours a day to overhaul components such as engines, powertrains and hydraulic systems used in the mining, construction and energy industries.

The generator sets start up when power from the grid is interrupted or when a potential power interruption would negatively impact ongoing work in the machine shop. The solar PV system currently provides more than 30 percent of the energy needed, with an opportunity to install an additional 500kW when facility operations expand and the power requirement increases.

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Featured products

  • 3512 (60 Hz)
    Standby Rating
    1250/1100 ekW
    1250/1100 ekW
    Prime Power Rating
    1135/1000 ekW
    1135/1000 ekW
    Emissions/Fuel Strategy
    Low Fuel Consumption
    Low Fuel Consumption

    3512 (60 Hz)

    Producing reliable power from 890 to 1250 ekW at 60 Hz, our 3512 diesel generator sets are made to meet your mission critical, continuous, standby and prime applications. We've designed each to ISO 8528-5 transient response requirements and to accept 100% rated load in one step. Generator sets offer a low fuel consumption system.

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  • C13 (50 Hz)
    Maximum Rating
    450 kVA
    450 kVA
    Minimum Rating
    350 kVA
    350 kVA
    Emissions/Fuel Strategy
    Low Fuel, R96/EUIIIa
    Low Fuel, R96/EUIIIa

    C13 (50 Hz)

    The C13 diesel generator sets have been developed for your mission critical, standby and prime applications. Producing reliable power from 350 to 450 kVA at 50 Hz, our C13 diesel generator sets designed to ISO 8528-5 transient response requirements. These generator sets range from low fuel consumption systems EU Stage IIIA Non-road Emission Standards Emissions / Fuel Strategy.

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