Power Supply Hub for Uzbekistan’s Green Chemical Park
Project Overview
Uzbekistan is undergoing significant reforms under the “New Uzbekistan” initiative. The chemical industry is central to this transformation. To meet the high-reliability power demands of newly built PVC and caustic soda production lines, KeRun Intelligent Control Co., Ltd. won the contract over Russian and Turkish competitors. KeRun provided the core substation equipment, installing a powerful “Chinese heart” in this industrial hub of Central Asia.
Expansion of the Nitrogen Fertilizer Complex – 110kV/10kV Power Center Substation Project
KeRun supplied a reliable 110kV/10kV Power Substation for Uzbekistan’s chemical park, ensuring continuous power for PVC and caustic soda production.
Project Scope and Supply Range
Chemical production demands continuous power. Any outage can result in raw material solidification and equipment damage. Thus, we designed an ultra-reliable “N+1” hot standby system.
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Core Equipment: Three 63 MVA 115kV/10.5kV three-phase oil-immersed on-load tap-changing power transformers.
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Quantity Logic:
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Two Main Units: Under normal conditions, two transformers run in parallel, sharing 50% of the load each (or one can handle 80% of peak load).
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One Hot Standby Unit: The third transformer stays energized in standby. If any main transformer fails, the backup transformer starts within 0.5 seconds through an automatic transfer switch (ATS), keeping the reactors running.
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Voltage Specifications: The national grid standard voltage in Uzbekistan is 110kV. Due to this being an industrial internal network, and to match imported chemical equipment, we set the high-voltage side of the transformer to 115kV (maximum system voltage Um = 123kV), a customized industrial parameter.
Solution Design Logic and Principles
The environment and grid characteristics in Central Asia shaped our design principles: “Extreme Temperature Adaptation” and “Desert Dust Defense.”
1. “Temperature Breathing” Logic (to Adapt to Continental Climate)
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Challenge: Summer temperatures can reach +50°C, and winter can drop to -25°C. Large day-night temperature fluctuations cause transformer oil to expand and contract, absorbing moisture from the air.
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Solution: We designed extra-large corrugated oil tanks with a 20% higher compensation volume. This helps absorb oil volume changes. We also added a maintenance-free “dual breathing” drying system to keep air dry.
2. “Sandstorm Defense” Principle
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Challenge: Located near the desert, sandstorms frequently occur. Fine sand can clog radiators and cause insulator flashovers.
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Solution: The transformer housing has an IP55 dustproof control box. We widened the radiator fin spacing to 50mm to prevent sand accumulation. We designed high-voltage bushings to meet the IV-level pollution standard (31mm/kV) to avoid short circuits caused by conductive sand.
3. “Dual Compatibility” Logic (GOST Interface + IEC Core)
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Challenge: Uzbekistan continues to use Soviet-era GOST infrastructure, while the new project requires IEC standards.
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Solution: The transformer’s internal coils follow IEC 60076 for higher efficiency. However, external interfaces (flange size, roller track gauge, bushing spacing) strictly adhere to GOST 11677. This ensures European performance while allowing direct installation on Soviet-era foundations, eliminating the need for civil modifications.
Uzbekistan Market Insights and Research
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Logistics Bottleneck: Uzbekistan is a “double landlocked” country. Sea transport must go through China or Iran before switching to rail.
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Insight: Rail transport has strict size limitations.
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Solution: We designed the 63MVA transformers with a “tall and slim” structure, ensuring a maximum width of 3200mm. This allows them to be directly loaded onto Central Asian freight cars without exceeding limits or requiring reloading.
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Poor Power Quality: The grid’s end suffers from significant voltage fluctuations and harmonic pollution.
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Insight: Chemical rectifiers create substantial 5th and 7th harmonics.
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Solution: We enhanced the core clamp insulation to prevent stray losses from harmonics, reducing the risk of overheating.
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Product Advantages and Selling Points
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Direct Rail Delivery Design: Our transformers are built to withstand the continuous vibrations of long-distance rail transport (impact records show G-force under 3g).
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Enhanced Short-Circuit Resistance: We designed the transformer to withstand short-circuit currents for 4 seconds, doubling the IEC standard’s 2-second requirement. This boosts equipment survival during grid faults.
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Extreme Cold Start Capability: Even in -30°C winter, the transformer can cold-start at full load safely, thanks to low-temperature oil and optimized oil channels.
Procurement Considerations (Business Rules)
Due to the specific trade habits and cross-border logistics risks in Central Asia, we set clear business boundaries:
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Advance Payment Requirement: A 30% advance payment is required to begin production after contract signing.
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Reason: 63MVA is a large custom-built unit, and copper price fluctuations make it essential to lock in material costs.
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Full Payment Before Shipment: The remaining 70% must be paid before delivery (EXW) or shipping/loading (FOB/FCA).
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Reason: Cross-border rail transport takes 20-40 days, with multiple countries involved. Full payment ensures both parties’ protection.
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Only EXW or FOB:
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Reason: We recommend FOB terms at the border port. Customs clearance and end delivery within Uzbekistan involve complex documents and road coordination, best handled by the buyer.
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Why Did Uzbekistan Choose KeRun Intelligent Control?
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Belt and Road Strategy Alignment: Compared to Siemens or Hyundai, KeRun actively practices the “Digital Silk Road” strategy. We provide equipment and benefit from trade facilitation policies, speeding up customs clearance.
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Chinese Experts Who Understand GOST: We have a specialized team familiar with Soviet electrical standards. We provide bilingual (Chinese-Russian) technical drawings, ensuring zero communication barriers for Uzbekistan’s veteran engineers.
Value-Added Services: Empowering Central Asia’s Energy Corridor
We don’t just sell transformers; we provide “soft power” to help Uzbekistan’s industrial modernization:
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Energy Sovereignty and Localization: Unlike Western companies, KeRun doesn’t hide technology in a “black box.” We openly share core control logic with engineers and help build “self-maintenance capabilities,” gradually reducing reliance on foreign technical services.
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Industrial Aesthetics and Environmental Integration: Considering the region’s focus on creating garden-style factories, our transformers feature special anti-corrosion coatings and noise-reduction designs, blending with the environment and elevating the park’s image.