NYTRO® BIO 300X fulfilling promises in Gothenburg, Sweden
Nynas’ new innovative insulating liquid NYTRO® BIO 300X has been successfully delivered to and tested in a transformer serving electricity customers in Gothenburg, Sweden. The city’s utility company Göteborg Energi opted to use the bio-based and biodegradable insulating liquid in a transformer located in a sensitive water protection area.
“As the transformer is located near a source of drinking water, we needed to make absolutely sure that no oil is spilled in the area, and we needed to use an insulating liquid that is highly biodegradable,” says Ferruccio Vuinovich, Planning Engineer, Göteborg Energi.
Developed as an alternative to mineral insulating oil and ester liquids, NYTRO® BIO 300X offers a highly sustainable option. Produced from hydrocarbon by-products, it actually has a negative carbon footprint.
Göteborg Energi decided to test the performance of NYTRO® BIO 300X by using it in one of three identical 40 MVA transformers installed in Gothenburg.
“This enabled us to evaluate and confirm some of the features promoted by Nynas,” Ferruccio Vuinovich says.
Already when filling the transformer during the Swedish mid-winter, the benefit of the bio-based liquid’s ultralow viscosity was immediately evident.
“The low viscosity, even at low temperature, made it very easy to handle. It was almost like filling the transformer with water,” he says.
However, the application-beating low viscosity of NYTRO® BIO 300X also provides enhanced cooling in the transformer. This too was evident in Göteborg Energi’s transformer.
“We have been able to achieve around 10 degrees lower temperatures in the transformer, improving the performance without the risk of overloads. It also opens the potential of using smaller transformers in certain locations. This is something we might look into in the future,” says Ferruccio Vuinovich.
The fact that NYTRO® BIO 300X is fully renewable and recyclable is obviously also important for Göteborg Energi, as the utility has set tough sustainability targets for its operations.
“With Nynas’ NYTRO® BIO 300X, the sustainability improvement of the transformer can be combined with an improved performance. The innovation supports transformer operators like Göteborg Energi by enabling their equipment to fulfil stringent environmental needs, and also by lower Total Cost of Ownership of the transformer,” comments Dr. Gaia Franzolin, Nynas Global Marketing Manager.
