Equatorial Guinea Power Project: Switchgear and Transformer Supply Case Study
Located in a remote town in Equatorial Guinea, the project site faces a challenging tropical climate characterized by year-round high humidity and persistent heat. These conditions place exceptional demands on electrical equipment, requiring robust insulation and corrosion resistance to ensure long-term reliability.
Local infrastructure posed additional difficulties. The regional power grid is notoriously unstable, with frequent voltage fluctuations and intermittent supply. Furthermore, the town’s limited road network made transportation of heavy electrical equipment extremely difficult, while on-site construction conditions were constrained by a lack of specialized lifting tools and experienced local labor.
The client’s existing electrical infrastructure was outdated and severely underpowered.Aging switchgear and transformers had reached the end of their service life, leading to frequent failures and insufficient capacity to meet growing local demand. To secure financing and regulatory approval, all replacement equipment had to strictly comply withIEC International standards while also meeting local grid interconnection requirements.
Adding to the urgency, the community faced prolonged power outages, and any downtime needed to be minimized. The client required a solution that could be delivered quickly, installed with minimal disruption, and brought into service in the shortest possible time to restore reliable electricity to residents and local businesses.
Our Solution
To address the unique challenges of this remote project in Equatorial Guinea, Derui Electric delivered a tailored power distribution solution that balanced reliability, cost-effectiveness, and rapid deployment.
The table below outlines how our solution responded to each specific challenge:
| Challenge | Our Solution | Product & Technical Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| High humidity and persistent heat – The tropical climate demands equipment with superior insulation and corrosion resistance. | Supplied a hermetically sealed oil-immersed transformer with enhanced insulation design, paired with Air Insulated Switchgear (AIS) featuring corrosion-resistant coatings. | Oil-immersed transformer designed for tropical climates with high moisture resistance; AIS enclosures treated with anti-corrosion coating to withstand humid environments. |
| Unstable grid with frequent voltage fluctuations – Local power supply is unreliable and prone to surges. | Integrated built-in surge arresters and voltage regulation capabilities into the switchgear lineup to protect downstream equipment. | Switchgear equipped with surge protection devices (SPD) and wide voltage tolerance; transformer designed to handle ±15% voltage variation without performance degradation. |
| Limited road infrastructure and difficult transportation – Narrow roads and lack of heavy lifting equipment at site. | Adopted a compact, modular design for both transformer and switchgear, enabling containerized shipment and simplified on-site assembly without the need for heavy cranes. | Transformer and switchgear dimensions optimized for standard 20ft/40ft containers; modular structure allows skid-mounted installation with minimal site preparation. |
| Limited local technical expertise – On-site personnel have limited experience with modern electrical equipment. | Provided bilingual operation manuals (English + Spanish), along with on-site commissioning support and hands-on training for local operators. | Switchgear features visual grounding indicators, mechanical interlocks, and user-friendly interfaces to reduce operational errors; transformer equipped with simple, clearly marked terminals for easy connection. |
| Aging infrastructure and insufficient capacity – Existing equipment was outdated and unable to meet current demand. | Delivered a reliable, IEC-compliant solution with increased capacity to support future load growth. | Transformer rated at 250 kVA with ONAN cooling; switchgear rated at 12kV / 630A, fully compliant with IEC 62271 and IEC 60076 standards. |
| Urgent need to minimize downtime – Prolonged power outages were affecting daily life, requiring a fast turnaround. | Deployed a simplified one-in, one-out switchgear configuration that reduced the number of connection points, streamlined installation, and shortened the commissioning timeline. | One-in, one-out switchgear arrangement eliminated unnecessary auxiliary equipment, reducing material costs and on-site labor hours while maintaining full protection functionality. |
Cost-Effectiveness Highlight
A key advantage of this solution was the one-in, one-out switchgear configuration, which simplified the overall power distribution scheme. By eliminating redundant feeders and auxiliary components, we significantly reduced both equipment costs and installation complexity. This approach delivered:
- Lower upfront investment – Fewer components reduced material costs without compromising reliability.
- Faster installation – Simplified wiring and reduced connection points shortened on-site work time.
- Easier maintenance – A straightforward layout allows local technicians to operate and maintain the system with minimal training.
This cost-conscious design proved especially valuable for a remote project where budget constraints and logistical challenges demanded a practical, no-compromise solution.
Containerized loading of transformer and switchgear at the port of departure：
