Siemens provides Robicon MV VFD for Abengoa's hybrid biorefinery project

Siemens provides Robicon MV VFD for Abengoa's hybrid biorefinery project

Siemens will provide Abengoa with variable frequency drives (VFD) to support the US$450 million cellulosic ethanol plant under construction.

Abengoa, headquartered in Spain, is an international developer of renewable energy solutions.

The energy self-sufficient plant is located in Hugoton, Kansas, and will be one of the world's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants. The facility is under construction and will have an annual capacity to produce 22 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues, prairie grass and other similar plant waste. The plant is scheduled to open at the end of 2013 and is expected to consume 1,100 tons of biomass products per day. It will also generate 20 megawatts of electricity through combined heat and power.

Siemens will provide five Robicon Perfect Harmony drives each manufactured in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, including one IV 2500 hp, one 1,250 hp Gen and three 600 hp GenIII medium voltage drives. Siemens drives will be used to support the factory's induced draft fans, forced induced draft fans and digester feed screws.

Siemens Robicon Perfect Harmony Drives excel in the power generation industry because they have the ability to overcome voltage dips, have a small footprint, and do not require output transformers, harmonic line filters or power factor compensation.

These VFDs are unique because each VFD uses a series of low-voltage units that are linked together and accurately scaled for various voltages and output powers. Battery bypass can ensure that the failed battery is automatically bypassed in less than 500 milliseconds, and there is no need to shut down the entire drive. Instead, the process tolerance protection system (ProToPS) provides a layered warning system. This control strategy allows time to assess the situation and respond appropriately. The concept also makes it easy to access drive components for regular maintenance. Siemens VFD also meets the IEEE 519 input power harmonic distortion standard.

Abengoa’s project site is located on 385 acres of land in Stevens County in southwest Kansas. The project is supported by a federal loan guarantee of $133.9 million from the Department of Energy and Abengoa's equity commitment. After the plant is completed, it is expected to have 65 permanent employees with an annual salary of approximately US$5 million.

Get more information about Siemens Robicon Perfect Harmony Drives.