RFI: refurbishment of 275 kv / 11 kv ±50 mvar statcom control and protection systems at garona substation

• Incident date: 15 November 2024.
• Site investigation date: 13 February 2025.
• Due date for raising refurbishment project: 30 September 2025.
• Due date for replacing STATCOM controllers: 31 March 2026.

General requirements:

• Applicants must be legally registered entities with experience in high-voltage substation control/protection systems refurbishment.
• Proven track record in FACTS or STATCOM projects, preferably with RXHK or similar OEMs.
• Compliance with South African regulatory and safety standards (e.g., NTCSA, OHSA).
• Financial and technical capacity to execute the project within the proposed timeline.

Specific requirements:

• Experience with Rongxin Power Electronic Co. Ltd (RXPE) or RXHK STATCOM systems is advantageous.
• Ability to source or refurbish obsolete electronic components for legacy systems.
• Familiarity with ESKOM’s operational protocols, including OIE (Open, Isolated, and Earthed) procedures.

Scope:

• Refurbish control and protection systems on an existing 275 kV / 11 kV ±50 Mvar STATCOM at Garona Substation.

Location:

• Garona substation, Western Grid, Northern Cape, outside Groblershoop.

Plant details:

• 275 kV STATCOM (FACTS device) with dynamic range -50 MVAr to +50 MVAr, installed mid-2013, no major refurbishment since.
• STATCOM VSC valves operated at 11 kV, controlling 275 kV HV busbar voltage via 275/11 kV STATCOM transformer.

Current issue:

• STATCOM controllers (Controller 1 and 2) failed due to aging electronic cards (over 12 years in service).
• Controllers stalled/froze, leading to offline status and triggering OIE (Open, Isolated, Earthed) procedure.

OEM recommendations:

• Replace STATCOM controllers and HMI.
• Refurbish protection and control systems in full.
• Consider sending spare electronic cards to China for inspection/testing/repair.
• RXHK (successor to RXPE) is the OEM for the STATCOM.

Key components:

• 275/11 kV STATCOM transformer.
• VSC valves, control systems, HMI, phase reactors.
• Related infrastructure: 275 kV busbars, shunt reactor (RX5), traction feeders.

Historical context:

• Previous failure reports (e.g., TIPPS 86151, 87140) and asset management plans highlight recurring issues with control cards, PSU, and IEGTs.
• Life extension phase or critical upgrades recommended to avoid obsolescence and spares shortages.

• RFI Closing Date and Time: 10H00 South African Standard Time on the specified closing date.
• Supplier Engagement Session: 02 June 2026, from 14h00 to 15h00.
• Session Format: Microsoft Teams meeting.
• Join Link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/321014624786345?p=qDRm8iPDMDbucu101Q
• Meeting ID: 321 014 624 786 345
• Passcode: G5Ax69q5
• NTCSA may request suppliers to give presentations on their proposed scope during or after this engagement.

• Primary Contact for this RFI: Basil Zuma, Senior Advisor Procurement.
• Telephone: 011 800 2171.
• Email: [email protected].
• All submissions must be made online via the e-tendering portal; no physical submissions are accepted.

• Submit your response exclusively through the online e-tendering portal: https://etendering.eskom.co.za/.
• Deadline for submission is 10H00 South African Standard Time on the closing date.
• This is a Request for Information (RFI), not a formal tender. It is a market research exercise to inform NTCSA's future procurement strategy.
• Your response must directly address the nine specific questions in the RFI table, providing high-level details, feasibility assessments (Yes/No with details), indicative costs, implementation schedules, and proof of past experience.

• While no formal scoring is provided, NTCSA will assess responses to inform its strategy.
• Strong preference will be given to suppliers with proven experience in similar STATCOM refurbishment projects (rated ±30 MVAr or higher, for transmission utility applications ≥220 kV) completed within the last 5 years.
• Suppliers must demonstrate technical capability, project management capacity, and the ability to provide medium- to long-term support services (spares, maintenance, diagnostics, training).

• Objective: Refurbish the Control and Protection systems on an existing ±50 MVAR STATCOM at Garona Substation (Northern Cape).
• System Details: 275 kV / 11 kV STATCOM, originally supplied and commissioned by Ronxin Power Electronics (RXPE). The Control and Protection systems, HMI, and VSC power modules are obsolete with critical spares no longer available.
• Environmental Operating Conditions: Extreme ambient temperatures from –10°C to +50°C, relative humidity up to 95%, and solar radiation of approximately 1.2 kW/m2.
• Key Components: STATCOM transformer (65 MVA, 275/11 kV), voltage source converter (VSC) in a delta configuration, saturated dry-air core reactors.
• Supplier must respond to detailed RFI questions covering: feasibility of partial vs. full refurbishment, proposed technical scope, indicative project costs, implementation timeframe, inclusion of Grid Forming (GFM) functionality, past similar project references, and capacity for long-term support and diagnostics.

• Provide indicative or high-level pricing as part of your RFI response.
• Pricing should be broken down for different scenarios: refurbishment of control/protection only, and full replacement including VSC valves.
• Include a high-level pricing schedule indicating major project milestones (design, manufacturing, procurement, construction, installation, testing, commissioning).
• No bid guarantees, performance bonds, or formal payment terms are required at this RFI stage.

• No specific compliance certificates (e.g., B-BBEE, CIDB, tax clearance) are mandated for this Request for Information (RFI) stage.
• Suppliers should be prepared to provide their company registration number and full legal name in their response.