INTERVIEW
Mr. Dave Roesser
Global General Manager
of Dielectric Fluids, Cargill
“On an annual basis, the Indian market for new dielectric
fluid is 14 million gallons/year, and the market
is growing significantly. We are looking at a 5-7 per cent
penetration in the Indian market in the next 5 years”
Through its discussion with Mr. Dave Roesser, Global General Manager of Dielectric Fluids, Cargill,
Energetica India learns more about is Cargill’s Envirotemp™ FR3™ natural ester transformer oil
and its application in the power sector.
Energetica India: Please give us a brief
background on Cargill and its products/services/solutions in India’s energy
sector?
Dave Roesser: Cargill ETM is the specialist
energy, transportation and metals division
of Cargill. By connecting the expertise in
these three areas, Cargill ETM brings a
unique combination of commercial knowhow to the management of supply chains.
We manage commodity supply chain
prices for more than 30 of Cargill’s businesses. This experience has allowed us to
develop effective, transparent solutions for
our external customers too.
Our ability to see the bigger picture and anticipate market trends and opportunities will
help support your long-term planning. Our
network and commodity expertise will help
you succeed in complex and volatile markets.
And because we apply the highest
standards of business conduct even in the
world’s fastest moving and least structured
markets, you can be confident about doing business anywhere in the world.
Energetica India: What exactly is Cargill’s
Envirotemp™ FR3™ natural ester transformer oil? What does it replace and
how can it be more beneficial?
Dave Roesser: FR3 fluid is a vegetable based
dielectric fluid for transformers. It is part of
the insulation system in the transformer and
helps to keep it cool. It also helps maintain
the electrical properties in the transformer
so that it operates properly. Cargill has been
working with FR3 fluid for the last 15 years
and 3 years ago, we purchased the business from a partner customer in the US. So,
now the technology and business, globally,
is a Cargill entity. In India, most recently, we
worked with some utilities including Tata
Power to bring this technology to India.
The USP of this technology is that it has
unique environmental benefits such as
On the left: substation. On the right: Cooper Power sm-0623.
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INTERVIEW
Luton transformer.
that it is made from renewable vegetable oils, biodegrades in 28 days and has
a good carbon footprint. From the safety
perspective, it has a high fire point, meaning that the temperature at which it can
sustain a fire is very high. It is to be noted
that petroleum based oils used in this application has a fire point of 160 degrees
centigrade, while FR3 fluid’s fire point is
360 degrees centigrade. Lastly, FR3 fluid
offers significant performance over mineral oil. Because FR3 fluid has a high temperature capability*, transformers filled with
FR3 fluid can handle up to 20% increased
load capability or extend the insulation
life 5-8 times longer than mineral oil. This
enables utilities to design smaller more efficient transformers with a lower total cost
of ownership.
Energetica India: What is the scope of
growth in India with Envirotemp™
FR3™ natural ester transformer oil?
Dave Roesser: The Indian market is a very exciting market for Cargill. On an annual basis,
the market for new dielectric fluid is 14 million gallons/year, and the market is growing
significantly. We are looking at a 5-7 per cent
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penetration in the Indian market in the next
5 years. Demand for solutions like FR3 fluid
is increasing because power companies are
seeking effective solutions that combine operational efficiencies and improved performance with environmental benefits and we
already have Tata Power as the first company
that has energized its transformers with natural ester FR3 fluid.
Energetica India: What other kind of innovative products/solutions can we expect
from Cargill?
Dave Roesser: Cargill continually looks to
the market to uncover opportunities. In
addition to dielectric fluid, our business
unit provides specialized agriculture-based
chemistries that provide the demanding
performance at a cost effective manner in
a range of categories that include asphalt,
oilfield, paints, inks, coatings, lubricants,
flexible foams and flooring. We collaboratively work with our customers to understand their specific requirements and then
figure out how our chemistries can address those needs. They are real-world innovations that solve customers’ problems.
It’s a great business to be in.
Energetica India: What has been the response to Envirotemp™ FR3™ natural
ester transformer oil outside India?
Dave Roesser: The response around the
globe has been phenomenal. Each region
faces different challenges whether that’s
requiring increased load capability to
manage expanding population demands,
increased fire safety in densely populated areas or a renewable, non-hazardous
fluid for environmentally-sensitive areas.
And, with FR3 fluid’s high temperature
capability, transformers can be designed
smaller, more efficient offering utilities
and their OEM partners improved total
cost of ownership savings.
There are more than 600,000 installations worldwide in both power and distribution transformers up to 420kV. FR3
fluid is certified as less flammable by FM
global and UL and meets IEC and IEEE
standards. Our team of dielectric fluid
experts collaboratively work with utilities
and their OEM partners around the globe
to provide effective transformer systems
that help them provide reliable, safe, affordable and clean energy to their customers 7
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