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Powering Telecoms in Papua New Guinea
Country: Papua New Guinea
Industry Sector: Communications
Product(s): 200 generating sets, ranging from 6 - 250 kVA
Application: Prime power
Dealer, UMW Niugini Limited, provide prime power to telecommunications company
UMW Niugini Limited, the FG Wilson Dealer for Papua New Guinea, supplied over 200 generating sets, ranging from 6 - 250 kVA, in prime power applications for the largest telecommunications provider in the South Pacific.
The project began in July 2007, when the telecommunications provider trialled four different generating set manufacturers' products, including FG Wilson, to power their sites and switches. Frequent quality and performance issues encountered with competitor product resulted in these sets being replaced.
The majority of the FG Wilson generating sets are 11 kVA units. The generating sets are installed in a wide range of climatic conditions; some in the central highlands are operating at over 2,400 metres above sea level.
Others such as the ones located at Tabubil are operating in regions where the annual rainfall is measured in metres rather than millimetres per year! Approximately 30 generating sets have been installed at Rabaul Town where an active volcano continuously spits out ash and dust, which are extremely corrosive and abrasive elements for the generating sets to operate in.
Approximately 80% of the generating sets are installed where there is no mains power supply and have been running in prime power applications. Two generating sets are typically installed per site sharing the run time between them. After more than 10,000 hours no major engine or AC alternator failures occurred across the entire fleet of FG Wilson units.
Due to the proven reliability of the generating sets, the telecommunications provider plans to run them for a total of four years, rather than two, without any midlife overhauls. This will be a major cost saving with most of the generating sets having registered around 20,000 hours by this time.
Confidence in the product has led the telecommunications provider to choose FG Wilson products for their forthcoming expansion phases as they can continue to improve reliable network coverage for their customers in Papua New Guinea. The reliability of FG Wilson products operating in extreme climatic conditions, has positioned FG Wilson as the unrivalled choice! project was a great success and was completed on time and to budget.