Efacec is strengthening its position at the Middle East market, having received several new orders from this region. Switchgear business unit will supply MV equipment: 7.5 kV and 24 kV NORMACEL cells as well as 36 kV QBN7 cells, for Saudi Electricity Company SEC in South Arabia, and that will be installed in several distribution substations.

The excellent commercial relation between Efacec and Alstom Grid, closer since the last year with the new Efacec Switchgear partner in Saudi Arabia, BANDARIYAH (BIC), resulted on important orders, of Primary Distribution cells which production will be in 2016.

Alstom Grid that was acquired by GE, now called GE Grid Solutions, after several contacts and offers presented, gathered with Efacec, in Dubai in the last may, reaching an agreement of ordering three orders of Primary Distribution cells, which value is 15 million Euros.

Efacec is producing now several equipment, including 15 kV medium voltage cells FLUOFIX, distribution transformers POWERCAST, protection systems (with Series 500 and 430 relays) for the innovative project of Graciólica. This projects aims to build a new solar and wind power plant, producing renewable resources energy.

The project for regional development (PIR - Projeto de Interesse Regional) recognised by Azores Regional Government, called Graciólica Project, at the Graciosa Island, Azores, aims to contribute to the increase of renewable energies production, to energetic saving and to the autonomy development regarding oil and derivatives.

This innovative project foresees an investment of 25 M€, building a wind farm with the capacity to produce 4.5 MWp; a photovoltaic solar energy farm, with the capacity to produce 1 MWp; and the building of battery park for the produced energy storage, enabling that 65% of consumed energy in Graciosa Island comes from renewable sources of energy.

The population of 4500 inhabitants that regularly consume electrical power produced at the thermal power plant will notice the difference when the N/T "Chem Daisy" ship will significantly reduce the fuel discharges in Graciosa Port. This ship is in charge of fuel distribution between the islands, stopping a little more than twenty calls a year at Graciosa port.

The new product developed by Efacec, called REVAC - aerial vacuum switch recloser, is already operating in the EDP Distribuição national network.

After the presentation to EDP in the beginning of 2015, several tests were conducted in factory and in international laboratories, such as KEMA, CESI, IEP, LABELEC, and INEGI.

During December, Efacec has commissioned two REVAC reclosers in the national electric network. One of these places was Loures, where a 27 kV REVAC is installed and the network is 10 kV, and another one in the 15 kV network in Coimbra, in Góis. Both started operating during the month. This commissioning integrates the homologation product.

REVAC is an aerial vacuum switch recloser, developed to satisfy the needs in network management and that does not use gas technology (SF6), which represents anenvironmental friendly equipment.

It was designed to integrate an automatic system of energy distribution, besides protection function, also executes the switch function and line isolation. Failures can be detected and isolated by the device and the network can be reconfigured from the control centre or based on distributed intelligence.

With magnetic operation, it has three poles and it is equipped with vacuum bulb in an epoxy housing.

In parallel, Efacec Automation has developed a new product for the control of this type of devices. The new RCU 220 joins the RTU traditional features, protection functions, reclosing, insulation of line/ feeder and it also contains restoration.

The RCU 220 was designed for single or tree phase reclosers, adjusted to different architectures of the distribution feeders. It includes the circuit breaker control with multiple reclosing cycles, checking the voltage presence and synchronism optional check as part of available functions, besides switch/ sectionalizer function.

During the last December, reception and expedition of the last batch of the 52 medium voltage cells for CORPOELEC, Empresa Elétrica Socialista da Venezuela. This supply is included in the contract signed between Efacec and CORPOELEC, for the branched delivery of outdoor cabinets of NORMACEL and QBN7.

It is worth remembering that this supply is included in the contract signed in December 2011, between Efacec and CORPOELEC, for the branched delivery of 52 outdoor cabinets of 13.8 kV NORMACEL and 34.5 kV QBN7.

The first reception occurred in December 2012, which concluded the supply of December 2015, receiving the last batch.